Mee Siam

Prawn Stock

• 250g whole prawns, peeled (shells and heads reserved)


• 3 golden shallots, sliced


• 1 tsp peanut oil


Gravy

• 4 cloves garlic


• 4 red chillies


• 2 tbsp salted soybeans


• 1 tbsp peanut oil


• 1½ tbsp caster sugar


• 3 tbsp tamarind water (made by soaking tamarind pulp in hot water and squeezing out the liquid)


• 350ml coconut milk


• ¼ tsp salt


Rempah (Spice Paste)

• 1 tsp belacan


• 2 cloves garlic


• 2 golden shallots


• 3 red birdseye chillies


• 1 tbsp salted soybeans


Noodles

• Reserved prawn meat from the prawn stock


• 250g rice vermicelli, soaked in boiling water, refreshed in cold water and reserved


• 1 handful beansprouts


• 5 fried bean curd puffs, quartered


• 4 spring onions, sliced


• 4 Chinese chives, cut into 5cm lengths


To Serve

• 2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced


• Crispy fried shallots


• 4 kalamansi limes, halved (substitute 2 normal limes)

For the gravy, pound together the garlic, chilli and soybeans with a mortar and pestle to a smooth paste. Heat the peanut oil in a wok and fry the paste for 1 minute until fragrant.

Add the sugar, tamarind water, coconut milk and salt and simmer for about 10-15 minutes until the oil begins to separate from the coconut milk. Set aside until ready to serve.

Roughly pound the prawn heads and shells with a pestle and fry with the shallots in the peanut oil in a saucepan until coloured but not burned. Add in 2 cups of water and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half. Strain off the shells and heads and reserve the prawn stock.

Pound the rempah ingredients to a smooth paste and fry in 2 tbsp oil until fragrant. Add the prawns and bean curd puffs and fry for about a minute. Then add the Chinese chives and fry for a further 30 seconds.

Add in the reserved prawn stock and light soy sauce and simmer for 1 minute. Add in the noodles, bean sprouts and spring onions and simmer together for a further 2 minutes. Season to taste.

Serves 4 (or 2 if you are very hungry)