Hong Kong Noodles

Hong Kong noodles do not take a back seat to Singapore Street Noodles, though they are featured in more of a wonton soup with noodles than those served straight-up in Singapore after cooking and stir frying in a wok.  Here’s our favorite:

INGREDIENTS:

• 300g shrimp
• 50g pork
• 200g pork bone
• 1 flatfish or Bay flounder
• Minced chives
• 1 egg yolk (duck if possible)
• 20 round wonton wrappers
• 450g dry Chinese noodles
• Salt, sugar, sesame oil, pepper, cornstarch, chicken powder and dadfish powder (see instructions below) to taste

Grill fish until it is crisp and golden. Debone fish, remove skin and grind fish into a powder. Put skin and bone aside.
Remove shrimp shell (put on one side), then clean and dry shrimp.  Add to a large pot of water: some white powder, pork bone, fish skin and bone wrapped in a muslin cloth, and shrimp shells. Bring water to boil, and then simmer for 1 and 1/2 hours.

Coarsely mince pork meat in a food processor.

Combine the shrimp, minced pork, egg yolk, salt, sugar, sesame oil, pepper, cornstarch, chicken powder and dadfish powder.

Lay wonton wrappers on a flat surface and place the shrimp/pork mixture in the centre of each wrapper.

Mix cornstarch with water to make a paste, then brush the paste around the edge of the wonton wrapper, fold the wrapper in half to make a semi-circle and press the edges together.

Then, with the curved edge of the wrapper facing away from you, fold the straight edge together and seal with more cornstarch paste.

Repeat with remaining wontons.

Bring a large pot of water to the boil and drop wontons into the water, low heat to a simmer. When wontons rise to surface, cook for two minutes more, then remove and divide between 4 bowls.

Add the soup that has simmered for 1 1/2 hours.

While the wontons are cooking, boil another pot of water and cook noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes.

Drain noodles and add to top of wonton soup.

Serves four.

The noodles should be cooked last, to avoid them losing their elasticity if immersed too long in the soup.

For truly authentic Hong Kong flavor, add a teaspoon of Mrs. So’s XO sauce on top for serving.  This special sauce is served as a condiment and contains dried seafood, conpoy (shred of dried scallop), minced shrimp, Chinese ham, garlic and bird eye chilies and can be used for cooking Cantonese dishes like noodles and stir fries and also as a dipping sauce for spring rolls.