Oyster Mee Sua

Ingredients

• 300g small fresh oysters, shucked
• 3 tbsp sweet potato starch, for coating
• 150g mee sua (thin brown wheat vermicelli)
• 1.2 litres pork or chicken stock
• 15g dried bonito flakes
• 4 tbsp fried shallots
• 3 tbsp shallot oil
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tbsp rice wine
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 1 tsp ground white pepper
• 4 tbsp sweet potato starch, for the slurry
• 120ml cold water, for the slurry
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed to a paste
• 2 tbsp Chinese black vinegar
• 1 small bunch coriander, chopped
• Chilli sauce, to serve

Before you cook

• Rinse the oysters gently in lightly salted water and drain them well on kitchen paper.
• Toss the drained oysters in 3 tbsp sweet potato starch so each one is lightly coated.
• Whisk the remaining 4 tbsp sweet potato starch with the 120ml cold water to make a slurry.
• Crush the garlic to a paste with a pinch of salt.
• Chop the coriander.

Steps

1. Bring the stock to a simmer in a large saucepan.
2. Turn off the heat, scatter in the bonito flakes and leave them to steep for five minutes.
3. Strain the broth through a sieve back into the pan and discard the flakes.
4. Bring a separate pan of water to the boil.
5. Drop the coated oysters in for twenty seconds, until the starch turns clear.
6. Lift the oysters straight into a bowl of cold water so they stop cooking.
7. Rinse the mee sua under cold running water for ten seconds to wash off surface salt.
8. Bring the broth back to a simmer and add the shallot oil, fried shallots, both soy sauces, rice wine, sugar and white pepper.
9. Add the mee sua and cook for three minutes, stirring gently so the strands separate.
10. Stir the starch slurry to loosen it, then pour it into the pan in a slow stream, stirring constantly.
11. Cook for two more minutes until the broth is thick enough to hold the noodles in suspension.
12. Drain the oysters and slide them into the pan, then turn off the heat immediately.
13. Ladle into bowls and top each with garlic paste, black vinegar, coriander and a little chilli sauce.