Char kway teow
Penang's smoky hawker classic: flat rice noodles tossed in a blazing wok with prawns, Chinese sausage, egg, bean sprouts and chives.
Method
If the fresh rice noodles are stiff from the fridge, put them in a colander, pour warm water over them for a few seconds and gently pull the strands apart; drain very well, because wet noodles steam instead of fry. Peel and devein the prawns, slice the sausage and fish cake thinly on the diagonal, mince the garlic and cut the chives into 4 cm lengths. Stir the light and dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, white pepper and water together in a small bowl.
Add in this stepLight soy sauce 4 tspDark soy sauce 2 tspOyster sauce 2 tspSugar 1 tspWhite pepper 1 pinchWater 2 tbsp
Cook one serving at a time, 2 batch(es) in total; a crowded wok turns soggy. Heat the wok over high heat until it just starts to smoke, add one portion of lard, then the garlic and chili paste, and stir for , until fragrant but before the garlic browns.
Add in this stepLard 3 tbspGarlic cloves 4Chili paste (soaked, blended dried chilies or sambal oelek) 2 tsp
high heatAdd one portion of prawns, sausage and fish cake and stir-fry over high heat for , until the prawns are pink and opaque all the way through.
Add in this stepMedium prawns, peeled and deveined 10Chinese sweet sausage (lap cheong) 1Fish cake (flat) 60 g
high heatAdd one portion of noodles and pour one portion of sauce around the edge of the wok. Toss over high heat for , letting the noodles sit still for about 10 seconds between tosses so they pick up smoky, lightly charred spots. Lift them gently with a wide spatula so they don't break.
Add in this stepFresh flat rice noodles (kway teow, 1 cm wide) 400 g
high heatPush the noodles to one side, crack the egg into the empty space and let it set for a few seconds, then fold the noodles over it and leave for before tossing, so the egg clings to the noodles in soft pieces.
Add in this stepEggs 2
Add one portion of bean sprouts and chives and toss for , just until the chives wilt and the sprouts are hot but still crunchy. Plate, give the wok a quick wipe if anything has stuck, and cook the next batch.
Add in this stepBean sprouts 100 gGarlic chives 40 g
Cook's tip
Noodles straight from the fridge break easily, so let them come to room temperature. No fresh noodles? Soak 1 cm dried flat rice noodles in lukewarm water just until pliable. Neutral oil works instead of lard, with less depth. In Penang, cockles go in with the egg; if you add them, cook them until firm.
Cooking it at camp
Use your strongest burner and a heavy cast-iron pan or wok, and cook strictly one serving at a time. Prep everything and mix the sauce at home; keep the prawns in a well-iced cooler and cook them on the first day.