Singaporean Bee Hoon Noodle Soup

Ingredients

For the anchovy stock:

• ½ cup dried anchovies (ikan bilis)*

• 1cm piece ginger, peeled and finely sliced

• 1 sour plum, bashed lightly*

• 1 small clove garlic, peeled and lightly crushed

• 1.25L water

For the soup:

• 500g fish heads and bones**

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil

• 1 tsp sesame oil

• 1cm piece ginger, peeled and finely sliced

• 1 spring onion, finely sliced

• ½ cup salted mustard greens, roughly chopped*

• 1 tablespoon Shaoxing cooking wine

• 12 fish balls*

• 12 prawns, peeled and deveined

• 240g snapper, skin removed, cut into large chunks

• ½ tbsp fish sauce

• 2 tbsp evaporated milk

• Pinch white pepper

• 1 tbsp brandy

• Packet rice vermicelli noodles

• 2 bok choy, ends trimmed and cut into quarters lengthways

• 1 tomato, cut into wedges

• 2 tbsp deep-fried shallots*

• 2cm piece ginger, peeled and cut into fine julienne strips

• Handful of coriander leaves

For the chilli padi sauce:

• ¼ cup soy sauce

• 1 long red chilli, finely sliced

Method

For the anchovy stock:

Rinse the dried anchovies and add to a pot with the ginger, sour plum and garlic.

Cover with water and simmer very gently over medium heat for 25 minutes.

Strain stock and discard solids.

For the soup:

Brown the fish head and bones in a stock pot.

Add the vegetable and sesame oil.

Sauté the ginger until fragrant then add the spring onion

and about 1 tablespoon of mustard greens and sauté for 1 minute.

Add the anchovy stock and the Shaoxing wine.

Simmer for 20 minutes, then strain the soup, discarding the solids.

Return soup back to stove, add the fish balls, prawns and snapper

and cook for a further 5 minutes or until the seafood is cooked through

and the fish balls float to the surface.

Skim any impurities from the surface.

Add the fish sauce, evaporated milk and white pepper.

Remove from the heat and add the brandy.

Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.

For the chilli padi sauce:

Simply combine chilli with soy sauce.

To serve, prepare rice vermicelli according to packet instructions,

drain well and portion into deep soup bowls.

Add a blanched bok choy quarter, a tomato wedge

and about 1 teaspoon of chopped mustard greens to each bowl.

Divide the seafood among bowls and add the soup over the top.

Sprinkle a pinch of deep-fried shallots, ginger and coriander leaves over the soup.

Serve with chilli padi on the side.