Fried Bee Hoon

Fried bee hoon is a much-loved staple for me. Be it the oily fried bee hoon with pig trotters or the simple vegetarian fried bee hoon (vegetarian I meant meatless and not strict vegetarian) that goes superbly well with curry, I am a fan no less. The trick to the version with the pig trotters is removing the thick layer of oil which may be too overwhelming for some. My brother for instance, absolutely detest that. To do so, simply chill the can of pig trotters in the fridge and remove the white layer of fat before cooking. For the benefit of others who are not fans of pig trotters, I've included another recipe for a simple vegetarian fried bee hoon. Enjoy.

Fried Bee Hoon with Pig Trotters

Ingredients:
200g                  bee hoon, soaked in water for at least 15 minutes
1 can                  pig trotters, chilled with fat removed and bones removed
3                        eggs, beaten
5                        shallots, sliced thinly
3 cloves              garlic, minced
2 tablespoons     oyster sauce
1 cup                  water
1 teaspoon          white ground pepper
1 tablespoon       cooking oil

Method:

Heat the wok with 1 tablespoon of oil and fry the sliced shallots for 1 minute. Add in the minced garlic and fry till both are fragrant and golden brown in colour.

Push the aromatics aside and pour in beaten eggs. Scramble them and push them aside.

Add in the can of pig trotters and break the meat and chestnuts into smaller pieces with your spatula. Mix all the ingredients in the wok together.

Add in the pre-soaked bee hoon and mix evenly.

Mix 2 tablespoons of oyster sauce with 1 cup of water and pour oven the bee hoon. Mix evenly and let the bee hoon soak up the liquid. Lastly, mix in 1 teaspoon of ground white pepper evenly, and serve.


Vegetarian Fried Bee Hoon

Ingredients:

200g                bee hoon, soaked into water for at least 15 minutes
3 cloves           garlic, minced
1                     carrot, shredded
1/4 head          cabbage, shredded
2 tablespoons  oyster sauce (your choice of either vegetarian or non-vegetarian)
1 cup              water
1 teaspoon      ground white pepper
2 tablespoons  cooking oil

Method:

Heat a wok with 2 tablespoons of cooking oil. Add in the minced garlic and fry till fragrant.

Add in the shredded carrot and cabbage and stir fry for 2 minutes or until they are half cooked.

Mix in the bee hoon evenly and pour in the oyster sauce and water. Continue mixing them until the bee hoon is cooked evenly. Add in 1 teaspoon of ground white pepper and serve.

Pig Stomach Vermicelli

The Lunar New Year is a time for family gatherings, red packets and most importantly plenty of sumptuous food. Many Chinese families will be familiar with a common dish served up on the dining table during the festival - Pig Stomach Soup. The key ingredient to this dish is the usage of white peppercorn to give the dish an extra oomph. Often served as a soup by itself, I added vermicelli to make it a complete meal. You may also wish to include some of the abalone slices or sea cucumber that are left over from the reunion dinner.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

300g               pork ribs

1                     pig stomach, whole

1 tablespoon   white peppercorn, crushed (not grind please)

1 teaspoon      salt

1.5 litres          water

1 packet          rice vermicelli

Method:

Blanch the pork ribs and pig stomach in boiling water and set aside. Bring 1.5 litres of water to boil. Add in the pork ribs, pig stomach and 1 tablespoon of crushed white pepper corns. Simmer for 1.5 to 2 hours until the pig stomach is soft.

Remove the pig stomach and slice them into thin slices. Return them to the soup and season with salt.

Bring a pot of water to boil, add in the vermicelli and cook for 30 seconds. Drain and serve with the pig stomach soup.

Korean Army Stew - Budae Jjigae

This was a result of watching way too much Korean drama. I just HAD to eat something that is commonly featured in those heart wrenching episodes. Many a times, we see instant noodles with packet cheese, or a bowl of hot piping kimchi ramen (Ramen by the way, are just another form of instant noodles in Korea). I wanted to treat myself to something a little better and chose this Korean 'stew' brimming with American ingredients (an interesting creation during the Korean war) instead.

Serves 2
Ingredients:

1/2 can            Spam, sliced
2 whole           frankfurters, sliced
1 bunch           spinach, cut into 2 inches long
1 bunch           mung bean sprouts, with ends removed
1 block            tofu, cut into small pieces
2 cups             chicken stock (or water with 1 chicken bouillon cube)
1 tbsp              sesame oil
2 cloves          garlic, minced
1 tbsp              gochujiang (Korean red pepper paste)
1 piece            Korean instant noodles (only the noodles)

Method:

Add sesame oil into a pot and add in garlic and gochujiang. Fry for about half a minute and add in chicken stock. Add in all ingredients except for the instant noodles. Bring to boil and lower to simmer for about 10 minutes. Add in the instant noodles 3 minutes prior to serving.

红糟面线 － Chicken Vermicelli with Red Wine Dregs

This dish may look a little peculiar to you but my family literally grew up with this traditional Hock Chew signature. Not only is this hearty noodle soup served every Lunar New Year both at home and at Granny's place, it has also became a common quick fix breakfast or lunch throughout the years. What really gave this dish an extra touch of warmth, is the bottle of homemade 红糟 handed down from my granny. I hope you will feel the homeliness of this family recipe.

Serves 4
Ingredients:

1/2 whole            chicken, chopped into smaller pieces
2 tbsp                  shaoxing or rice wine
3 tbsp                  red wine dregs
10 pieces             dried Chinese mushroom, stem removed, soaked and cut into smaller pieces
4 slices                old ginger
2 tbsp                  sesame oil
3 cups                 chicken stock (you may replace it with water and a piece of chicken bouillon cube)
4 pieces               rice vermicelli

Method:

Add 2 tablespoons of sesame oil into a heated pot or claypot and saute ginger till fragrant. Add in 3 tablespoons of red wine dregs, 2 tablespoons of rice wine and fry for a minute (be careful not to burn the red wine dregs).

Add in chicken and continue stirring for another 2 minutes. Add in pre-soaked chinese mushroom and chicken stock. Bring to boil and lower heat to a simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes.

In another pot of boiling water, blanch the vermicelli for about 1 to 2 minutes and serve with the soup.