4
servings30
minutes20
minutesThis is one of my favourite recipes in Book Two, and since I made it for a dinner party the other day, am gonna share the steps to make this here with you guys (along with substitution ideas). So, first order of business! JK, Nothing too serious, there's just some things to note about this recipe.
- We sear our prawns first. This does double duty of ensuring the prawns don't overcook as we set them aside (rubbery prawns = NO!!) AND the goodness that is your prawn shells flavours the oil, which then forms the base of your dish and seeps into your mung bean noodles.
- We then use that gorgeous, red-hued oil to saute some lightly bruised aromatics (flavour baby, flaaavaaa...), which include garlic cloves, cilantro root (just wash/clean them thoroughly), ginger slices and Two different types of peppercorns. For the peppercorns, you want to (preferably) get them whole and pound them up yourself as the peppery heat is a key component here.
- To handle the mung bean/glass noodles, just soak them in room temperature water for about 10 minutes first for them to soften. If the strands are too long-ish, cut them up a little. We then marinade the noodles beforehand in the seasoned stock. A headstart in absorbing all that flavour!
- The measurements here for the seasoning have been carefully adjusted for a stock that's unseasoned. If you use a storebought (Seasoned) stock, you'll definitely want to adjust the seasoning.
- No stock, No Problem. When I don't have any homemade stock on hand, I just toss in a chunk of kombu when marinading the noodles + a couple of prawn heads in the initial prawn-searing step. Just squeeze all that tasty roe out and it'll boost the flavour of your dish.
Recipe taken from: Around the Dining Table - An Asian-Inspired Modern Feast
160g mung bean/glass noodles
250ml unsalted chicken or seafood stock
2 Tablespoons oyster sauce
2 Tablespoons fish sauce
1 Tablespoon light soy sauce
2 teaspoons dark soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 and a half teaspoons sugar
300g prawns (about 6 to 8 of them)
1 and a half teaspoons whole black peppercorns
1 and a half teaspoons whole white peppercorns
6 garlic cloves, peeled and whole
3-4 cilantro roots
50g old ginger, sliced into chunks
2.5 Tablespoons canola oil or lard
spring onions/cilantro for final garnish