Bak Chor Mee

Method

1. Put the dried shiitake in a bowl, cover with hot water and soak for 20 min. When the caps are soft, squeeze them dry, cut off the stems and slice thinly. Keep the soaking water.

   Add in this stepDried shiitake mushrooms 3

2. Slice the shallots paper-thin and put them in a 18 cm pan with the cold lard. Cook on medium-low heat for 6 min, stirring, until pale golden, then strain straight away, keeping the crisp shallots and the shallot oil separately. They keep darkening off the heat, so lift them out before they turn brown or they taste bitter.

   Add in this stepLard 2 tbspShallots 2

   medium-low heat

3. Leave 1 tsp of the shallot oil in the pan and add the mushrooms, oyster sauce, sugar and 3–4 tbsp of the soaking water. Bring to a bubble on medium heat, then turn down to low heat and simmer for 8 min until the liquid has almost gone and the mushrooms look glossy.

   Add in this stepOyster sauce 2 tspSugar 1 tsp

   medium heat→low heat

4. Fill a 2.5 L pot with water and bring it to a rolling boil on high heat, about 9 min. Meanwhile mix the minced pork with the cornflour, light soy, white pepper and 1 tbsp water using chopsticks. The cornflour keeps the meat tender and helps it break apart in the water.

   Add in this stepMinced pork 160 gCornflour 1 tspLight soy sauce 1 tspWhite pepper ½ pinch

   high heat

5. Turn the heat down to medium heat so the water simmers and add the fish balls. Put the pork in a sieve or ladle, lower it into the water and stir with chopsticks to break it into small bits, cooking for 4 min. Lift it out once no pink remains. When the fish balls float and puff up, ladle them into small soup bowls with some of the cooking water and a little spring onion. Keep the pot simmering.

   Add in this stepFish balls 8Spring onions ¼

   medium heat

6. In each serving bowl put a share of the black vinegar, the remaining light soy, the dark soy, sambal and white pepper, plus 2 tsp shallot oil per person, and stir. If you are not used to heat, start with half the chilli.

   Add in this stepChinese black vinegar 2 tbspLight soy sauce 3 tspDark soy sauce 1 tspSambal chilli paste 2 tspWhite pepper ½ pinch

7. Bring the water back to a rolling boil on high heat. Loosen the noodles with your fingers and cook them in 1 batch(es) for 1 min, adding the bean sprouts for the last 20 seconds. When the noodles are tender with a slight bite, lift them out, dip in cold water for 3 seconds and back into the hot water for 3 seconds, then shake off every drop. This gives the classic springy texture.

   Add in this stepFresh flat egg noodles (mee pok) 200 gBean sprouts 60 g

   high heat

8. Tip the hot noodles straight into the sauce bowls and toss until every strand is coated. Top with the pork, braised mushrooms, crisp shallots and the rest of the spring onions, and serve at once with the fish ball soup.

   Add in this stepSpring onions ¾