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Friday, August 08, 2008

Hokkien Mee

Depending on who you ask, Hokkien Mee has several incarnations. The Singapore version is a mixed seafood noodle dish fried then simmered in a seafood stock, invented about 40 years ago by Hokkien labourers. In Penang, it's a soupy prawn noodle dish. But its most commonly known incarnation (confusingly enough, found in Singapore as well) is a thick yellow noodles simmered in a black gravy. And very simple to make - although much of the flavour depends on the quality of the stock.

Hokkien Mee (serves 2)
1 packet (500g) of thick yellow aka Hokkien noodles
1 1/2 cup of homemade stock*
200g prawn, chicken, squid or combination (I used only chicken)
1 choy sum or spinach, chopped into large chunks
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp light soy
1 tsp sesame oil
3 tbsp caramel sauce
Pepper to taste

1. Heat wok to high and mix stock with the oyster and soy sauces and sesame oil.
2. When mix starts to boil, add chicken pieces. When chicken changes colour, stir in noodles. Bring to boil.
3. Stir in caramel sauce. Reduce liquid by half, stirring constantly.
4. Add seafood, if using, and reduce sauce on high heat until there's only 20% of stock left or gravy becomes thickened to choice.
5. Turn heat off, mix in vegetables and serve immediately.

Cost breakdown:
Total cost: RM4.70++
Cost per serving: RM2.35++
Noodles RM1.80
Chicken RM2.50
Veggies RM0.40

* A seafood stock based on ikan bilis would be best. Stock cubes would be forgiveable.

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5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Woah! Looks great! I probably will sound stupid but... are there seafood stock cubes? I don't recall seeing them...

Also, with regards to caramel sauce (which I've never even heard of!), can you get it in a local grocery store or do you get it at an Asian grocer's?

BTW, I think we should call this blog The Expert Chef (you) and The Humble Student(me)'s Kitchen. What do you think? Haha!

noelbynature said...

haha, expert chef my eye. I think you can find at your Asian grocer ikan bilis stock cubes (i know they are sold in sg and malaysia, so i suppose you could find them there). then again, i used chicken stock when i made this one.

i'm sure you heard of caramel sauce! it's the thing that makes your carrot cake black! on most asian grocers it's sold as caramel sauce. i got mine from tesco - house brand some more!

Agagooga said...

its most commonly known incarnation (confusingly enough, found in Singapore as well) is a thick yellow noodles simmered in a black gravy

Is this what we call "yee mee" in Singapore?

Singapore Hokkien Mee is much more common! And there's KL Hokkien Mee also - brown stock, alkaline taste.

noelbynature said...

yee mee? oh cripes! another name! now I have a headache. i'm not sure about the yee mee though. truthfully when i go to the tze char in Singapore i'm usually a fried rice kinda guy.

... the alkaline taste is probably from the noodles.

Agagooga said...

Somehow I don't taste it with Singapore Hokkien Mee. But I do with Yee Mee and Malaysian (KL?) Hokkien Mee