To Cook
Bring 4 cups of water to the boil, blanch Hokkien noodles, vermicelli and bean shoots. Drain; distribute among 4 bowls.
Meanwhile, combine stock ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 45 mins. Strain through a sieve; keep warm in a saucepan until needed.
Bring stock back to the boil, add pork slices and prawns; simmer for 2 mins.
Add fish cake slices (optional) and water spinach, boiled for 1 min.
Ladle soup into serving bowls; use tongs to distribute pork, prawns, fish cakes and water spinach.
Top with fried shallots and egg.
Serve with sambal oeleck and soy sauce as condiments.
Noodles
Stir Fry Crabs with XO Sauce and Egg Noodle
To Prep
Pull back the apron of each crab, remove the top shell, then intestines and feathery gills. Rinse quickly.
Cut each crab into quarters and crack the legs gently (use a meat mallet) so the flavours can enter.
To Cook
Cooked the egg noodles as the instruction on the packaging and transfer to a serving dish.
Heat the wok and add 2 tbsp of oil, cook the crabs for 2 mins, then add the chopped whites of the spring onions plus 80g of XO sauce and fry for 2 mins.
Add 1 cup of water, 1 tbsp oyster sauce, 1 tsp chicken powder and 2 tbsp Chinese cooking wine and continue stir fry until the crabs are cooked.
Combine the corn flour and water to make a thin paste, stir into the boiling crab mixture to thicken.
Pour the crabs and sauce over the noodles and garnish with the chopped green tops of the spring onions.
Crisp Salad with Mushrooms Tofu and Soy Sauce
To Cook
Cook Soba noodles according to packet instructions. Drain, then refresh under cold running water. Drain well. Set aside
Prepare dressing in a small mixing bowl, whisk together the sesame seeds, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, raw sugar and extra virgin olive oil. Set aside.
In a large bowl, add the wombok, daikon, chives and spring onions. Toss gently. Set aside.
Heat olive oil in a wok or frying pan, over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and season well. Cook until tender. Add the tofu and cook for 1 min. Add ginger then remove from heat.
Divide the Soba noodles onto 2 serving plates. Top with salad mixture. Place mushroom and tofu mixture on top. Spoon over dressing.
Tempura Soba
To Prep
To prepare dipping sauce, bring the mirin to the boil in a small saucepan and continue to boil until reduced by half. Stir in the soy sauce and bonito flakes and return to the boil. Immediately remove from heat and strain. Transfer the sauce into a serving bowl and set aside.
To Cook
Blanch carrots in boiling water for 1 min. Refresh under cold running water and drain well. Prepare the remaining vegetables.
Stir the egg yolks and cold water together. Sift the flour and Bi-Carbonate of soda and add to egg yolk and water. Stir until smooth.
Heat oil (in a wok or deep fat fryer) to about 180˚C. Coat the vegetables lightly in flour. Working in small batches, dip vegetables into batter and immediately deep- fry in the hot oil for about 1 min. Drain on kitchen paper and keep warm.
Cook the noodles in the boiling dashi broth for 4 mins. Drain, reserving the broth.
Pile the noodles into serving bowls and ladle in the broth. Top each bowl with a few deep-fried vegetables. Serve immediately, accompanied by the dipping sauce for the vegetables.
Stir-Fried Pork with Soba Noodles
To Cook
Cook noodles in boiling water until just tender. Drain, then refresh under cold running water. Drain well, set aside.
Heat sesame oil and half the oil in a wok over medium heat, add the pork and stir-fry until lightly browned. Place pork in a bowl, cover to keep warm.
In a small saucepan, place the mirin, soy sauce, sugar and cooking sake. Heat and stir until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and set aside.
Add the remaining oil to the wok. Add the onion, garlic and fresh ginger. Cook and stir until onion soft. Add shiitake mushroom, cabbage and carrot, cook until tender. Add pickled ginger, pork, soba noodles and sweet soy sauce (gently toss to combine). Cook until heated through.
Divide stir-fry between 4 deep serving bowls. Garnish with a sprinkling of finely shredded nori and serve immediately.
Korean Stir-Fried Potato Noodle (Japchae)
To Prep
Marinate meat in bulgogi marinade in a bowl for at least 30 mins.
To Cook
Saute onions in a heated pan with 1 tbsp oil for about 1 min, do not caramelize onions, keep white colour. Set aside.
Saute carrots in a heated pan with 1 tbsp oil for about 1 min. Carrots shouldn’t be too soft. Set aside.
Stir fry meat in a heated pan until meat is cooked, about 2-3 mins. Set aside.
Saute mushrooms in a heated pan with 1 tbsp sesame oil, 1½ tbsp soy sauce and a sprinkling of ground pepper for about 1 min. Set aside.
Mix spinach with 1 tbsp sesame oil, ¼ tsp minced garlic and season with salt. Set aside.
In a heated pan, add 1 tbsp oil and make a thin egg white omelette. Set aside. Repeat with egg yolk. Cut omelettes into thin strips.
Bring a big pot of water to a rapid boil. Add 2 tsp salt. Add the dried noodles and cook for about 5 mins or until al dente. Drain and do not wash noodles with water.
Add 1-2 tbsp oil to a heated pan and add cooked noodles. Stir quickly and then add 3-4 tbsp soy sauce and 2½ -3 tbsp sugar. Mix to combine. Take noodles off the heat. Put noodles in a large bowl.
Add 2-3 tbsp of sesame oil to noodles and season with salt and ¼ tsp ground pepper. Add extra soy sauce and sugar if needed. When the noodles have cooled down, add the rest of the ingredients that have been set aside and mix well. Put japchae on a serving plate or bowl and top with thin slices of egg omelette.
Note: Once the sweet potato noodles are cooked and drained, it should be stir fried in oil, soy and sugar mixture quickly. However, once this is done, the rest of the ingredients can be added and mixed closer to serving.
Seared Tuna on Soba Noodles
To Cook
Cook Soba according to packet instructions, Drain, then rinse in cold water.
Combine soy and mirin, toss through noodles.
Brush tuna with oil, then season. Heat a large, non-stick fry pan over high heat. Cook tuna for 20-30 secs each side until lightly coloured but still completely rare inside. Remove from pan and cut into 55mm thick slices.
Divide the noodles among plates, top with spinach, broccolini and tuna.
Udon Chicken Soup with Coriander and Ginger
To Cook
Place the chicken fillets, grated ginger and water in a large saucepan. Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Continue to simmer for 6 mins so as to poach the chicken. Remove the chicken and cool slightly. Reserve the liquid. Shred chicken and place aside.
Cook the noodles according to packet instructions. Drain and place into 4 serving bowls.
Add chicken stock to reserved liquid and bring to the boil.
Top noodles with shredded chicken, chopped ginger, spring onions and coriander. Ladle over soup. Drizzle with a little light soy sauce and roasted sesame oil. Serve immediately.
Salmon Teriyaki with Udon Noodle Salad
To Prep
Combine the salmon, soy sauce and mirin in a shallow bowl, toss so they are well coated and marinate for 2 hrs; overnight in the fridge is even better.
To Cook
Cook the noodles according to the instructions on the packet, drain and refresh briefly under cold water, keep the noodles warm.
Combine the dressing ingredients in a large bowl and toss the noodles through. Add the chilli, spring onions, spinach and coriander and toss well. Divide between 2 plates.
Heat the oil in a frying pan. Remove the salmon from the marinade, season with salt and pepper and sear, skin-side down for 2 mins. Turn over and fry on the other side for 2 mins or until the skin is crisp.
Place the salmon (skin side up) on the noodles, top with the sesame seeds and serve with half a lime.
Eye FIllet Steak with Ramen Noodles
To Cook
Cook noodles according to packet instructions. Drain, then refresh under cold running water. Drain well, set aside.
Heat half the olive oil in a wok. Add the eye fillet (in small batches) and stir-fry until browned. Remove from wok and set aside.
Heat the remaining olive oil in the wok. Add the onion, garlic and capsicum and stir-fry until tender. Return the eye fillet to the wok along with the rest of the vegetables, sauces and beef stock. Stir-fry until vegetables are tender and eye fillet is cooked to your liking. Add ramen noodles, gently tossing to combine (about 1 min). Remove from heat.
Divide stir-fry between 4 deep serving bowls. Garnish with a sprinkling of spring onion. Serve hot.
Northern Thai Curry Noodle with Chicken (Khao Soi)
To Cook
Mix all curry paste ingredients and pound until become fine paste.
Place light coconut milk in a saucepan over medium heat, adding salt, until boiling.
Stir fry curry paste with ½ cup heated coconut milk until fragrant, and transfer the curry mixture into boiling light coconut milk. Return to the boil, combine chicken meat until well cooked, adding the remaining coconut milk. Add light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, can add little salt if the taste is not salty. Set aside.
Separate approximate 50g egg noodle, and deep fry a little at a time in heated oil over medium heat until crispy yellow, quickly remove and place over absorbent paper, use for topping (Before frying, shake well the noodle to take out coating flour)
Cook the noodle in boiling water, little amount at a time, for few minutes as pack instruction, drain and place in serving bowls.
Combine the curry sauce and chicken into the noodle bowl and top with the crispy noodle. Serve with pickled vegetable. Some lime juice can be added to enhance flavor if prefer.
Pad Thai with Prawns
To Cook
Blanch prawns in boiling water for 1 min. Drain and set aside.
Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a large frying pan, add chopped onions and stir-fry on low heat until fragrant. Add Pad Thai noodles and stir-fry until softened, some water can be added.
Add Pad Thai Paste and stir to mix. Push the mixture to one side of the pan. Add 1 tbsp of oil, bring to medium heat and add the eggs.
Wait for 1 min for the eggs to set, then add the prawns; stir-fry until everything is well mixed in the pan.
Add beansprouts and Chinese leek and stir through before removing from heat. Garnish with ground roasted peanut before serving.