Hokkien Mee

Name: Hokkien Mee
Cook time: 65 min
Total time: 65 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Malaysian
Ingredients: 30g Pork Bones, for stock; 12 Prawn Heads and Shells, for stock; 700ml Water; 800g Fresh Thick Yellow Hokkien Noodles, rinsed and drained; 200g Pork Belly, thinly sliced; 120g Pork Back Fat, diced, for rendering lard and making crispy lardons; 12 Medium Prawns, peeled and deveined; shells reserved for stock; 1 Small Squid, cleaned and sliced into rings; 250g Napa Cabbage, thickly sliced; 4 cloves of Garlic, minced; 4 tbsp Malaysian Thick Dark Soy Sauce; 2 tbsp Light Soy Sauce; 2 tbsp Oyster Sauce; 2 tsp Sugar; 1/2 tsp White Pepper; 1 tsp Cornstarch, for slurry; 2 tbsp Water, for slurry; 3 tbsp Rendered Lard, from pork fat; 4 tsp Sambal Belacan; 4 Calamansi Limes, halved

A deeply savory, wok-tossed Hokkien Mee that marries a rich prawn-and-pork stock with tender noodles, sweet-salty sauces and a touch of lard for glossy finish. Succulent prawns and tender squid mingle with slices of pork belly and crunchy napa cabbage, finished with a lively squeeze of calamansi and spicy sambal for balance. This is the kind of comfort stir-fry that smells like home and delivers big, layered flavor in every bite.

A deeply savory, wok-tossed Hokkien Mee that marries a rich prawn-and-pork stock with tender noodles, sweet-salty sauces and a tou... Show more

Traditional Malaysian Recipe

Health Grade

D · Occasional

Time

1 hr

Price

4,47 €

Calories

1475 kcal

high protein

low sugar

comfort food

malaysian

Method

Prep the seafood

Peel and devein the medium prawns, keeping the meat in the fridge while you work. If the prawns have heads attached, twist them off first; reserve all the shells and heads as the prawn heads and shells for the stock. Clean the small squid by pulling the tentacles and head from the body, discarding the innards and clear quill, then slice the tube into rings and cut the tentacles into bite-size pieces.

Start the stock

Place the pork bones, the reserved prawn heads and shells, and the water in a pot. Bring it to a boil over medium-high heat, skim off any gray foam from the surface, then lower the heat and let it simmer gently for 30 minutes. Press the prawn heads lightly against the side of the pot once or twice as they cook to help release more flavor.

Prep the remaining ingredients

While the stock simmers, slice the pork belly thinly across the grain into bite-size strips. Dice the pork back fat into small cubes so it renders evenly. Wash the Napa cabbage if needed, then slice it thickly; mince the garlic; rinse the fresh thick yellow Hokkien noodles briefly under warm water to loosen them, then drain well and gently separate any clumps; and halve the calamansi limes.

Render the lard

Put the diced pork back fat into a cold pan or wok and set it over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring every so often, for 8-10 minutes until the fat has melted out, the cubes are deeply golden, and you have clear rendered lard in the pan. Scoop out the crispy lardons with a slotted spoon and set them aside, then measure out 3 tablespoons of the rendered lard for the stir-fry.

Mix the seasonings

In one bowl, stir together the Malaysian thick dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, and white pepper. In a second small bowl, whisk the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water until smooth to make a slurry.

Strain the stock

Strain the stock through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl or jug, pressing gently on the shells to extract as much liquid as you can without forcing through gritty bits. Discard the bones and shells. You should have a flavorful stock ready for the noodles.

Stir-fry the mee

Heat a wok or large deep skillet over high heat until lightly smoking. Add the reserved rendered lard, then stir-fry the garlic for 15 seconds until fragrant. Add the pork belly and cook for 1-2 minutes until the slices lose their raw color and start to brown at the edges; add the squid and prawns and toss just until the seafood is nearly opaque. Add the Napa cabbage and stir-fry until it softens slightly, then add the noodles and the soy sauce mixture and toss well so the strands are evenly coated. Pour in about 1 1/2 cups of the stock, let it bubble, and keep tossing until the noodles absorb the flavor and turn glossy; add a little more stock if they look dry. Stir the cornstarch slurry again, drizzle it in, and toss for another 30-60 seconds until the sauce lightly thickens and clings to the noodles, then fold in some or all of the crispy lardons.

Serve and garnish

Divide the Hokkien Mee among 4 bowls while it’s hot and juicy. Serve with sambal belacan on the side and the calamansi halves for squeezing over the top right before eating.