Prawn beehoon

C requested prawn mee today and since we didn't have mee (yellow Hokkien noodles), I made it with beehoon (vermicelli) instead.

Followed this recipe (http://www.foodcanon.com/2011/06/auntie-rubys-prawn-mee-penang-hae-mee.html). 

It is quite a good recipe and I made a few changes - skipped the chicken stock and rock sugar, added some palm sugar (gula melaka) and used baby bok choy instead of morning glory (kangkung). I also fried the hard tofu (tau kwa), fish cake and prawns. Forgot to prepare some hard-boiled eggs though!

During the prep, I was apprehensive about blending the stock ingredients as I've never blended prawn shells before and it feels funny.. Ha! I asked C if he were ok with that idea. He said yes after a longgg pause haha. Remember to strain your stock prior to using it!

Summary of recipe for two: 

1. Peel 250gm of prawns.

2. Prepare the stock ingredients: In a pan, toast a bunch of dried anchovies and dried shrimps, half a garlic (chopped), 2 lemon grass, an inch of ginger (sliced) with a swirl of oil. Add prawn shells to toast further. Add a cup of water. Blend everything.

3. Prepare the stock: Bring a pot of 1.5litre water to boil and add blended stock ingredients, small piece of belacan and gula melaka. Simmer for 45 mins with the lid on or place in thermal pot for a few hours. Salt to taste.

4. Prepare garnish: Soak the beehoon with tap water until soft. Fry the garnish ingredients if you like. Otherwise, cook them in the stock in this sequence - green vegetables, fish cake, prawn, beehoon, bean sprout. 

5. Plate and serve with eggs, sambal and fried shallots.

How to prepare hard-boiled eggs:

Place eggs into a pot and fill with tap water to cover about 1cm above eggs. Bring it to boil on the stove top. Once it is rolling boil, turn off the heat and cover the pot. Let it sit for 20-25 mins. Then, drain the hot water and fill your pot with cold water to cool the eggs. This also makes it easier to peel the egg shells.