*  Exported from  MasterCook II  *
 
                  Char Kway Teow (Stir-Fried Rice Noodles)
 
 Recipe By     : 
 Serving Size  : 4    Preparation Time :0:00
 Categories    : Singapore                        Pasta
                 Ceideburg 2
 
   Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
 --------  ------------  --------------------------------
    2                    Chinese sausages (lop -- cheong)
      1/4  pound         Medium shrimp (36 to 40 per -- pound), shelled and
 					
    1      teaspoon      Salt
      1/4  pound         Cleaned squid -- with
                         (See Technique -- Note)
      1/4  pound         Chinese barbecued pork
      1/4  teaspoon      White pepper
    1 1/2  tablespoons   Dark soy sauce
    1 1/2  tablespoons   Light soy sauce
    1      tablespoon    Oyster sauce
    2      pounds        Fresh rice noodles -- in
                         strips
    4      tablespoons   Peanut oil
    4                    Cloves garlic -- chopped
    4                    Shallots -- sliced (1/2 cup
 					
    6                    Fresh red chiles -- seeded
                         chopped
    1      cup           Bean sprouts -- tails removed
    1      cup           Shredded Chinese cabbage
    2      large         Eggs
    4                    Green onions -- chopped
                         Fresh coriander sprigs -- for
 
 Nothing is more fascinating and delicious than eating at the open- air street
hawker centers in Asia, particularly in Singapore.  Each stall serves a
specialty, typically an honest, unpretentious, home-style dish for $1 to $3 a
plate.
 This rice noodle dish is hawker food at its best.  If done right, its fragrance
will tell you how good it’s going to be as soon as it arrives at your table. 
Singapore hawkers will use whatever seafoods are available, including cockles and
sliced fish cakes in addition to those suggested in this recipe.  Feel free to
experiment.
 1.  Steam the sausages for 10 minutes.	Cut them in thin diagonal slices. Toss
the shrimp with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt.  Let them stand for 10 minutes, rinse
well with cold water, drain, and pat dry.
 Cut the squid into 1/4 inch rings and tentacles.  Cut the barbecued pork into
1/4-inch-thick slices.	Combine the white pepper, soy sauces, and oyster sauce in
a bowl; set aside.
 2.  Just before cooking, put the noodles in a large bowl and pour boiling water
over them.  Stir gently with chopsticks to separate the strands, drain, and shake
off the excess water.
 3.  Preheat a wok; when hot, add 2 tablespoons of the oil.  Add the remaining 1/2
teaspoon salt and the garlic, shallots, and chiles and cook over medium-high heat
until the garlic is golden brown.
 Increase the heat to high and toss in the shrimp and squid; stirfry until the
shrimp turn bright orange and the squid looks opaque white, about 2 minutes. Add
the sausage slices, barbecued pork, bean sprouts, and cabbage; toss and stir
until the vegetables begin to wilt.  Remove everything in the wok to a platter
and set aside.
 4.  Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the wok; when hot, toss in the
well-drained noodles.  Gently toss and flip the noodles to heat them through.  Be
careful not to break them; it is okay if they brown slightly. Push the noodles up
the sides of the wok to make a well in the middle; pour in the soy sauce mixture,
then toss the noodles gently to sauce them evenly.  Make a well again and break
the eggs into the middle. Without mixing them with the noodles, scramble the eggs
lightly. When the eggs begin to set, add the green onions and return the seafood
mixture. Gently toss together to reheat and mix.  Serve hot, with a hot chill
sauce for seasoning to taste.
 Garnish with coriander sprigs.
 NOTE:  Both here and in Asia, fresh rice noodles are usually purchased rather
than made at home.  Look for them in Asian markets or Chinese take-out dim sum
shops.	This dish can be prepared with dried rice noodles; however, it is worth
taking the time to seek out the fresh variety.
 Make certain that your wok is well seasoned or the fragile rice noodles will
break apart and stick to the pan.  Although I hesitate recommending that you cook
with a non stick wok or skillet, they will work fine if you are more comfortable
with them.
 TECHNIQUE NOTE; To clean squid, start by separating all the tentacles from the
heads, cutting across as close as possible to the eyes.  Squeeze out and discard
the hard, pea sized beak in the center of each cluster of tentacles.  Rinse the
tentacles and drain them in a colander. Grasp the mantle (the saclike “body” of
the squid) in one hand and the head in the other and pull apart; the entrails
will pull out attached to the head. Pull the transparent quill out of each
mantle.  Discard everything but the tentacles and mantles.  Running a little
water into each mantle to open it up, reach in with a finger and pull out any
entrails remaining inside. (Working over a second colander to catch all the
debris will make cleanup easier.) You can remove the spotted outer skin or leave
it on (I prefer to remove it).
 Transfer the cleaned mantles to a cutting board, slice them crosswise to the
desired size,and add them to the tentacles in the colander.
 Give everything another rinse and drain thoroughly.
 
  Makes 4 to 6 servings 
   From “Asian Appetizers” by Joyce Jue, Harlow and Ratner, 1991. ISBN
 0-9627345-1-9.
 
  Posted by Stephen Ceideburg
 
                    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -