Sticky Vermicelli Broth [Mee Suah Kor]

Another noodle dish from Amy Beh's collection of recipes.  The recipe uses quite basic ingredients.  This broth looks quite similar to one of our Penang's traditional noodles   called 'Mee Suah Kor' in Hokkien which is cooked in a big pot for the blue collar workers [coolies and construction workers] in the olden days.  I remember, when I was very young, I have seen hawkers preparing this noodle and the yellow noodles into very thick soupy broth with dried prawns and sometimes meat.

I think these type of noodles are still sold at the Cecil Street Market, Penang in the afternoons but no more for the 'coolies' and labourers.

Ingredients

[serves 2-3] 

A handful of prawns - shelled and diced

100 gm minced pork meat - marinate with 1/4 tsp pepper, 1/8 tsp sugar, 1 tsp oyster sauce, 1/2 tsp light soy sauce and 1 tbsp cornflour for 15  minutes

2 dried mushrooms - soaked and shredded

1/2 tsp each chopped shallots and garlic

1 litre chicken stock

1 tbsp sesame oil

Seasoning for soup

1 tbsp each of light soy sauce and Shao Hsing wine

1/2 tsp fish sauce

1/4 tsp pepper

dash of msg

20 gm potato starch + 5 tbsp water for thickening

 180 gm flour vermicelli - scald in boiling water for a minute.  Drain and toss in a little sesame oil

Garnishing - chopped spring onions and coriander

2-3 tbsp black vinegar [chit choe]

1. Heat sesame oil in a wok. Fry chopped shallots and garlic until fragrant and lightly browned.  Push aside and add in meat, prawns and mushrooms to fry briskly with a few tablespoons of chicken stock.  Fry for a minute until cooked through.  Dish out and set aside.
2. Bring the chicken stock to boil in a large saucepan or claypot.  Add in seasoning and flour vermicelli.  Give a quick stir to loosen noodles.  Drizzle in thickening and stir well to mix.
3. Turn off heat and add in pre-cooked meat, prawns and mushroom mixture.  Garnish with spring onions and dish out into individual serving bowls and serve hot with black vinegar for added flavour.