Penang Prawn Noodles (Slow Cooker)

Penang, an island 593 km from Singapore, with fishing villages around the west of this island, are popular with prawn noodles. This hawker classic uses prawn shells and heads to develop its signature, full-flavoured broth. Add the recipe to your cooking list and try it out!

• Ready In: 7 hrs
• Serves: 9
• Yields: 4 kg

Ingredients

• 700  g  shrimp shells
• 50  g  dried shrimp
• 50  g  dried anchovies
• 10  g  dried chilies
• 600  g  lean pork
• 3  liters water
• 400  g red chili peppers
• 1  tablespoon sugar
• 1⁄2 tablespoon rock salt
• 200  ml water
• 150  g  fermented  chili paste
• 35  g garlic
• 1⁄2 tablespoon sugar
• 1  teaspoon rock salt
• 200  ml water
• 270  g  shrimp  meat
• 1  teaspoon rock salt
• 30  g butter
• 120  g shallots
• 100  g  oil
• 900  g  fresh japanese  ramen noodles
• 400  g  dried  rice vermicelli
• 300  g  mung beans, sprout
• 200  g  water spinach
• 9  eggs

Directions

1. Preheat oven at 250°C. Spread shrimp shells evenly on a tray wrapped with aluminium foil.
2. Bake for 20 minutes. Flip the shells over every 7 minutes.
3. Remove shells from oven when it seems dry and crispy.
4. Place shrimp shells, washed anchovies and washed dry shrimps in a muslin bag.
5. Add deseeded dried chilli peppers, lean pork and muslin bag to a slow cooker. Pour 3 Liters of hot boiling water into it. Cover with lit. Turn on high heat and set timer for 45 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, deseed then cut 400 g chilli peppers into chunks.
7. Add chilli peppers, 200 ml water, 1 tbsp sugar and 1 tsp salt into a blender. Blend until fine.
8. Strain with muslin cloth and discard any residue.
9. Remove lean pork from slow cooker when time's up. Cut into thin slices.
10. Place slices of pork in a deep dish. Add some soup just to cover it. Wrap and store in fridge when it cools down.
11. Pour liquid of chilli peppers into slow cooker. Covered and continue cooking for another 75 minutes. Turn down the heat to low and let it simmers for 4 hours.
12. 40 minutes before serving, take pork slices out from fridge. Cook 9 eggs. Melt 30g butter on a non-stick pan over medium high heat.
13. Add shrimps and 1 tsp rock salt.
14. Cook, stirring occasionally, until pink; set aside.
15. Soak 400g dried rice vermicelli in water for 20 minutes. Strain off the water when done. Cover vermicelli with a piece of damp cloth.
16. Cut shallot into 2mm thin slices.
17. Heat shallots together with 100g oil over high heat in a pot.
18. Lower the heat when oil starts to sizzle. Cook until it turns brown.
19. Sieve out and cool down on a piece of paper tower.
20. Mash 35g garlic. Mix garlic, 150g fermented chilli sauce, 1/2 tbsp sugar and 1 tsp salt to 200ml water. Mix through and set aside.
21. Cook 100g ramen in boiling water for a minute. Run through cool water then hot water again for springy texture.
22. Cook 60g rice vermicelli for a minutes.
23. Cook handful of bean sprouts for 15 seconds.
24. Cook handful of water spinach for 5 seconds.
25. Pour 2 tbsp of chilli sauce just made and a few scoops of shrimp stock to the noodles. Serves with pork slices, shrimps, eggs while top with fried shallots and a tsp of shallot oil.