RECIPE: Hokkien Braised Mee 福建卤面

This is one of my mother’s childhood favourites, and it’s not the Hokkien Mee (or Lor Mee) that you already know. Punchy with meaty, seafoody flavours, this is serious comfort food, Hokkien style!
BONUS: Watch the video at the bottom to see us make it, but IN HOKKIEN!

RECIPE: Hokkien Braised Mee

[INGREDIENTS]

For the stock:

• Around 700g pork bones, blanched and rinsed

• 1.2 litres water

• 1 piece dried squid

• Shells and heads from 12 large prawns or 16 medium prawns - set the prawn meat aside

For homemade lard + crispy lard:

• 500g pork fat, cubed

• Enough water to cover

For dried sole fish powder:

• 2 dried sole fish fillets

For the sauce:

• 1 litre of stock (ingredients above)

• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce

• 1-2 tablespoons dark soy sauce

• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce

• 1-2 teaspoons sugar

• White pepper, to taste

For the noodles:

• 400g fresh flat Hokkien-style yellow noodles, rinsed with hot water to blanch

• 12 prawns, deshelled and deveined

• 2 squids, cleaned and sliced into rings

• 200g cooked roast pork

• 1/4 cup lard

• 3 cups choy sum, cut into lengths

• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped

• 3 spring onions, chopped

• 2 tablespoons arrowroot starch or cornstarch, dissolved in 6 tablespoons (1/4 cup) water

[METHOD]

1. Make the stock by combining all the ingredients in a pot and simmering for 2-3 hours, until very flavourful. You can also do this in a pressure cooker for 30 minutes. Strain out all the solids.

2. In the meantime, make the crispy lard. Place the cubed pork fat in a heavy-bottomed pan, and cover with water. Bring to a boil, and cook vigorously until the water has evaporated. Turn the heat down to very low, and continue cooking until all the fat has rendered out, and the lard pieces are crisp and golden brown. This takes around 2 hours in total. Drain the crispy lard on kitchen paper, and set the liquid lard aside for cooking.

3. Optional: Make the dried sole fish powder by toasting the fillets in a dry pan until hard and golden brown. Grind in a spice grinder until fine.

4. When you’re ready to fry, stir the sauce ingredients together. Prepare all your other ingredients.

5. Place a wok over high heat. Pour in 1/4 cup lard, and the minced garlic. Sauté until fragrant, then add the drained yellow noodles. Toss to combine, then add the prawns.

6. When the prawns are half-cooked, add the squid and roast pork. After everything is starting to sauté, pour in the sauce and bring to a boil. Add the dried sole fish powder, if using.

7. After 1-2 minutes, toss in the choy sum and spring onion, then stir in the arrowroot/cornstarch slurry and bring to a vigorous boil.

8. Serve immediately, topped with crispy lard and extra dried sole fish powder, if using.