Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Making Sembawang White Bee Hoon at Home

I blogged about this tasty little dish a while back, and since then, I have returned a few times only to find that I have to wait a long time because of the popularity of this eatery.

I thought that instead of taking the trouble to go all the way to Sembawang, that I should endeavor to recreate this dish at home. That way I can have it anytime I want, and save on the cost of eating outside, which is inflating like crazy.

The secret to making this dish is really in making a solid stock to cook the bee hoon in. So here's how.

For a serving of about 4 persons, take about 16 prawn heads and the accompanying shells and saute it in a saucepan with lots of butter. About a third of a bar actually.

Once the prawn heads are red, they will elicit a wonderful aroma when infused with the melting butter. Once the butter has melted into a syrupy texture, add in chicken stock, about a third liter and some water and bring it to a boil.

After which, set it on low flames and let it simmer for about an hour. Add in about half a stock of chopped leeks to enhance the stock. Alternatively, you can also use fish bones or head to make the stock, or even use a standard chicken stock if you do not have the time, but the better the stock, the better the bee hoon.

As for the bee hoon, make sure you soak the dry bee hoon in water for about 15 to 20 minutes before using them. Next, get ready to cook.

In a wok using the highest flame you can find in the kitchen, break 2 eggs over a little oil and stir the eggs thoroughly for a minute. Next, add the bee hoon into the wok.

Cook the noodles until they start to caramelize and you can hear the sizzle of the noodles crackling in the wok.

Now add 2 ladles of the stock into the been hoon and let it immerse. Keep stirring until the noodles absorb the entire liquid of the stock. Next, add another 2 ladles and cover the wok for about 2 to 3 minutes to let the noodles infuse more stock under a high temperature.

Remove the ladle and add in the seafood. You can use prawns, chopped/sliced squids, sliced fish and even scallops and stir well into the bee hoon to ensure they cook properly, but do not overcook the seafood.

Add in a green of your choice, be it kailan, choy sum or xiao bai cai. Add in chopped garlic last and mix well with the bee hoon.

Before finishing, add in one more ladle of stock to wet the noodles and that's it. Serve on a large plate and you will have tasty white bee hoon right at home!

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