Cherry & Dennis Helper Habitat
Singapore Lor Mee
新加坡滷麵
Recipe overview
Thick yellow noodles and bean sprouts are topped with pork, prawns, fish cake and egg, then covered in five-spice soy gravy thickened with starch and finished with egg ribbons. Black vinegar, garlic and chilli are added at the table.
01
Ingredients
Main ingredients
- 600 g thick yellow noodles
- 250 g pork loin, thinly sliced
- 200 g medium prawns, peeled and deveined
- 150 g fish cake, sliced
- 3 eggs
- 200 g bean sprouts, trimmed
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 red chilli, chopped
Pork marinade
- 1 tsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1/4 tsp ground white pepper
Braising sauce
- 1.2 L unsalted chicken stock
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 1/4 tsp five-spice powder
- 1 tsp granulated sugar
Slurry
- 4 tbsp cornstarch
- 5 tbsp water
Finishing seasoning
- 4 tbsp Chinkiang black vinegar
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1 chopped red chilli
02
Tools
- Knife and chopping board
- Measuring spoons and jug
- Three small bowls
- Large noodle pot and colander
- Medium soup pot
- Wooden spoon or spatula
- Whisk
- Ladle
- Probe thermometer
- Four deep noodle bowls
03
Steps
Step 1
Mix the vinegar condiment
Stir black vinegar with two minced garlic cloves and chopped chilli, then divide into small dishes; keep it raw for diners to add at the table.
Step 2
Marinate the pork
Mix the sliced pork with its marinade until no dry starch remains and rest for 10 minutes; keep the pieces loose rather than pressed together.
Step 3
Cook eggs and prepare toppings
Bring two eggs to a boil from cold water and cook over medium for 8 minutes, chill, peel and halve; beat the remaining egg and slice the fish cake.
Step 4
Blanch noodles and sprouts
Boil a large pot of water, loosen the thick yellow noodles for 30 to 45 seconds, and add bean sprouts for the last 10 seconds; drain into four bowls.
Step 5
Cook pork and seafood
Bring chicken stock to a gentle simmer, add pork one slice at a time for 2 minutes, then prawns and fish cake for 2 minutes; prawns turn opaque and pork reaches 63°C.
Step 6
Lift out the toppings
Transfer pork, prawns and fish cake with a slotted spoon to a clean plate and cover to keep warm; leave the stock in the pot and skim off foam.
Step 7
Season the gravy base
Add two minced garlic cloves, light soy, dark soy, five-spice and sugar to the stock; bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes.
Step 8
Thicken in stages
Restir the starch slurry and pour it into the gently bubbling stock in three additions, stirring 20 seconds after each, until thick but still flowing.
Step 9
Form fine egg ribbons
Keep the gravy at a gentle bubble and stir a slow whirlpool, drizzle in beaten egg in a thin stream, wait 10 seconds, then push lightly into fine ribbons.
Step 10
Reheat the toppings
Return pork, prawns and fish cake to the gravy and warm over low for 1 minute; if too thick, add hot water by the tablespoon until spoonable.
Step 11
Assemble the bowls
Top each bowl of noodles and sprouts with pork, prawns, fish cake and half an egg, then ladle over plenty of hot gravy and egg ribbons.
Step 12
Add tang and chilli
Serve immediately with about 1 tablespoon vinegar-garlic-chilli per bowl and more to taste; lift noodles from the bottom to coat them in gravy.
Common mistakes
- Overcooking yellow noodles makes them soft and alkaline-tasting; blanch briefly and drain at once.
- Dropping pork in as one clump leaves unevenly cooked centres; add each slice separately.
- Unstirred slurry or adding it all at once creates starch lumps and overly thick gravy.
- Stirring hard immediately after adding egg makes cloudy crumbs; wait 10 seconds, then move it gently.
Tips
Unsalted stock makes it easier to control salt from soy sauces and fish cake.
Gravy thickens as it stands, so stop cooking while it is slightly looser than the final target.
Serve vinegar, garlic and chilli separately so every diner can choose the right heat and tang.
