A quick home version of Southeast Asian-style Hokkien mee, made with thick wheat noodles, seafood, greens, garlic, pork fat, and a savory seafood sauce. The sauce is rich, glossy, and slightly thick, so it coats the noodles beautifully.

Ingredients

• 1 pack thick wheat noodles
• 1 head bok choy or another leafy green
• Seafood of choice: shrimp, squid, fish balls, or sliced fish cake
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp rendered pork fat or lard
• Pork belly, for rendering pork fat
• Salt, black pepper, and sesame oil (for marinating meat if using)
• 1 tsp fish powder (optional but highly recommended)

Sauce:

• 30ml dark soy sauce
• 7.5ml soy sauce
• 5ml oyster sauce
• 90ml stock
• 1 tsp freshly ground white pepper

Instructions

1. Remove the fatty part from the pork belly and dice into small pieces. Cook over low heat until the fat renders out — you only need about 1 tbsp. Reserve extra rendered fat in the fridge for later use.
2. Mix all sauce ingredients together and set aside. You can replace 1 tbsp of dark soy sauce with sweet soy sauce (kecap manis) for a more Southeast Asian flavor.
3. If using frozen seafood, sear directly from frozen in oil and discard any liquid released. If using fresh seafood, cut into bite-sized pieces.
4. Heat the pork fat in a pan. Add the minced garlic and stir-fry until fragrant. Add the seafood or fish balls, pour in the stock, and add the fish powder. Bring to a boil.
5. Add the thick wheat noodles. Cover with a lid and simmer for about 2 minutes, then gently loosen with chopsticks.
6. Pour in the sauce and add the greens. Turn the heat to high and stir-fry continuously until the sauce reduces and coats the noodles. Add a thin cornstarch slurry for a thicker, glossier finish if desired.
7. Serve hot.

Notes

This is closer to the Hokkien mee found in Southeast Asian hawker centers — not traditional Fujian food, and not Japanese teppanyaki-style noodles.

Fish powder adds a very fresh seafood flavor and is also used in Cantonese wonton soup bases. Thai fish powder works too. If your portion of noodles or vegetables is smaller, reduce the sauce slightly to avoid over-salting.