Shanghai Pork Noodles

Serves 4

Shanghai Pork Noodles I tried to make this dish more difficult. I tried to make the recipe longer. I tried to make it complicated and confusing. But no matter what I did, it still worked out to be one of the simplest, fastest, and most foolproof dishes in the whole book. Essentially it's a Cantonese stir fry with a bit of added interest.

4 dried shiitake mushrooms,
soaked in hot water for an hour
2 tablespoons dried shrimp
10 ounces rice vermicelli
2-1/2 ounces pork loin
1 small leek, trimmed
2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
2 ounces bamboo shoots,
cut into matchsticks
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar

Drain mushrooms, cut off and discard stems, and thinly slice caps. Soak dried shrimp in warm water for 30 minutes, then drain. Pour boiling water over noodles and let soak for 6 to 7 minutes, until tender. Drain and set aside until needed. Cut pork and leek into matchstick strips.

Heat oil in a hot wok and stir-fry pork for 1 minute. Add shrimp, celery, bamboo shoots, and leek, and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add noodles and toss through. Add stock, soy sauce, salt, and sugar, and cook until liquid has been absorbed by the noodles.

Buy the Book!

Noodle
By Terry Durack
Soma Books, 2000
Hardback, $27.00
Color photos throughout
ISBN: 1-57959-053-5
Recipe reprinted by permission.