KL Hokkien Mee

Addictive isn't enough to describe this

A trip to KL with hubby many years ago was well remembered because it was our first getaway when our only kid went to an overseas trip with her school. We feasted throughout KL and came back with an expanded girth from too much food. It was a rehearsal for a possible empty nest that we anticipated when our kid would leave home in 6 years. I am blessed to say that trip made us look forward to ‘me time’ if it should happen.

Now almost 10 years later, the taste and smells of that trip remains dear to us, esp the black hokkien noodles from KL Chinatown. On his birthday recently, instead of Longetivity noodles, I made this Hokkien noodles as requested by him. It was happy memories and esp so because for the first time in my life, I prepared the most important component from scratch – the lard crisps, which he did not expect in his wildest dreams.

Another taste that made it special was the deep flavour of the pounded flat fish, fried in oil and lard. I still have no words to describe that taste except that it was part umami, part smoky. The noodles are nothing without it.

This recipe is pretty robust but its assembly can give the cook cause for a little dance before the wok. It has to be done in its proper sequence without taking a break for that perfect presentation and that itself, is a celebration in itself.

For 4

Ingredients :

1 Tbsp of pig’s lard

2 Tbsp fried lard crisps

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 cup of pork belly, thinly sliced

2 cups of prawns, peeled

1 cup of squid, cut and scored

1 cup of fish cake, thinly sliced

4 cups of green bok chye, cut to bite size

300g flat yellow noodles, rinsed in cold water and drained

dried flat fish, fried and pounded to powder

3 Tbsp black soya sauce

1 Tbsp thick sweet soya sauce

1 Tbsp of corn flour dissolved in 1 cup stock

generous dash of white pepper

Method :

Heat the lard and 1 Tbsp of canola oil. Saute garlic.

Add pork, prawns, squid in this order and fry until the prawn is about to turn pink.

Add vegetables and stir.

When vegetables are about to wilt, add the noodles.

Stir in the powdered fish, sauces, stock and seasoning.

Toss the wok’s content until the noodles are well coated with the sauce.

Simmer slightly until the sauce is thick.

Serve immediately.