Tainan Danzai Noodles

Ingredients

• 16 head-on raw prawns
• 1.2 litres light chicken stock or water
• 250g minced pork
• 40g shallots, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp neutral oil
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 2 tbsp rice wine
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 1/2 tsp five spice powder
• 1 tsp ground white pepper
• 300g thin yellow oil noodles
• 150g bean sprouts
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed to a paste
• 2 tbsp Chinese black vinegar
• 1 small bunch coriander
• 4 tbsp fried shallots

Before you cook

• Peel the prawns, keeping the heads and shells in one bowl and the tails in another.
• Devein the prawn tails and refrigerate them.
• Thinly slice the shallots and crush the garlic to a paste.
• Rinse the bean sprouts and pick over the coriander.

Steps

1. Heat one tablespoon of the oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat.
2. Add the prawn heads and shells and press down on them with a spoon for three minutes, until they turn deep orange and the oil smells sweet.
3. Pour in the stock and bring it to the boil.
4. Lower the heat and simmer the broth uncovered for twenty-five minutes.
5. Strain the broth into a clean pan, pressing hard on the shells, then discard them.
6. Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a second pan over medium-low heat.
7. Fry the sliced shallots for six minutes until golden.
8. Raise the heat, add the minced pork and break it up until it is browned and crumbly, about five minutes.
9. Add both soy sauces, the rice wine, sugar, five spice and white pepper.
10. Pour in 300ml of the prawn broth, then lower the heat and simmer the meat sauce uncovered for thirty minutes until dark and thick.
11. Bring the remaining broth back to a simmer and poach the prawn tails in it for ninety seconds.
12. Lift out the prawns and set them aside.
13. Drop the bean sprouts into the broth for twenty seconds, then scoop them out.
14. Cook the noodles in the same broth for one minute, then divide them between four small bowls.
15. Ladle a little hot broth over each portion so the noodles sit half submerged.
16. Top each bowl with bean sprouts, a heaped spoon of the meat sauce and four prawns.
17. Finish with garlic paste, a splash of black vinegar, fried shallots and coriander.