Folks nowadays are so into instant noodles...I see families at the supermarket fill up their shopping carts with packets after packets of instant noodles! And don't get me wrong, we love instant noodles as much as the next guy. (My favorite flavor is the seafood curry!)
But let's go back in time a bit, and consider, what came before instant noodles? Well, I imagine it would be some like this...a quick and yummilicious bowl of soft slurpable noodles that fills you up with tasty crisp protein as well as hot and nourishing soup.
This old classic noodle dish, the traditional Shanghai Pork Chop Noodles 上海豬排麵, is not only easy to make but yummy and satisfying to the tum as well!
These are Shanghai noodles上海麵, both the dried package kind (top) and the fresh kind (bottom). Shanghai noodles are a wheat noodle that cooks quickly to a soft yet al dente type of noodle that is perfect as soup noodles, most excellent for slurping!
The dried package can be found in Asian grocery stores and the fresh kind can be found at the wet market or in stores that specialize in noodles. I love stores that specialize in noodles, it's super cool!
The key to this dish of course are the irresistable pork chops with their lovely crispy skin wrapped over tasty well marinated porkiness, fried to tender perfection, sliced to neat bitable slices.
The pork is first marinated to infuse the meat with as much flavor as possible, and then dredged in flour or bread crumbs to coat before being shallow fried to golden crispy perfection. For a thicker coating to the pork chops do the triple dip: first dip in flour, shake off excess, then dip in beaten egg, and lastly dip in flour again (shaking off any excess) before frying.
The cooked noodles and hot broth are placed into the noodle bowl. Don't be lazy and cook the noodles in the broth, the starch in the noodles will mess up your soup! And don't forget the handful of chopped spring onions! It will add a very important and necessary touch of pungent aroma to the broth. Completely lifts to broth to another level.
I sometimes wonder what Chinese food would be without that all important magical ingredient of spring onion...
The last touch, the pork chops laid carefully over the top of your noodles. Ahh...there you have it: the slipperiness of the soft chewy noodles, the hot broth laced with the aroma of spring onions and a bite of crispy tasty pork come together to make the perfect noodle soup dish.
Shanghai Pork Chop Noodles, 上海豬排麵, easy peasy to make and such a noodle classic!
Shanghai Pork Chop Noodles
上海豬排麵
(serves 4) Prep time: 20 mins Cook time: 15 mins
Ingredients:
上海豬排麵
(serves 4) Prep time: 20 mins Cook time: 15 mins
- 4 pork chops
- 1 tsp white pepper
- 2 tsp shao hsing rice wine
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1 tsp five spice powder
- 12 oz shanghai noodles, 340g
- 1 liter chicken stock
- 4 tbsp spring onion, cut to rounds
Directions:
Marinate the pork chops in white pepper, rice wine, soy sauce, sugar for 20 mins.
While meat is marinating prepare a big pot of water. When water is boiling, add in noodles, stirring to prevent noodles sticking together and cook for 4 mins. Remove and rinse noodles under cool water. Let drain.
Dump out water and refill pot with chicken stock. Heat stock until just boiling.
Heat 1/4" of oil in pan wide enough to fit pork chops. Mix flour and five spice powder in shallow plate, dredge the pork chops in flour and shake off any excess flour. Fry the pork chops until golden brown on bottom. Flip over and repeat. Remove and place on kitchen to soak off excess oil. When cool enough to touch, slice into 3/4" thick slices.
Separate noodles equally into four noodle bowls. Pour hot stock into each bowl, sprinkle handful of spring onions over noodles and place sliced pork chop on top. Serve hot and enjoy!
Noodle-liciousness at The Hong Kong Cookery:
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