Char Kway Teow

Prepare your ingredients: gently separate the sheets of Fresh flat rice noodles (kway teow) so they don’t clump; peel and devein the Medium prawns; scrub and drain the Blood cockles (see-ham); thinly slice the Chinese sausage (lap cheong); beat the Large eggs; rinse the Bean sprouts; cut the Chinese chives (garlic chives) into 2–3 inch lengths; finely mince the Garlic; and have a spoonful of Chili paste (sambal) ready.

Make the seasoning sauce in a small bowl by mixing Light soy sauce, Dark soy sauce (caramel-style), Oyster sauce, a pinch of Sugar and a grind of White pepper — taste and adjust so it’s balanced between salty, sweet and savory.

Heat a wok over high heat until very hot, then add a generous spoon of Pork lard and let it melt and shimmer.

Add the sliced lap cheong to the hot fat and stir-fry until it releases oil and the edges caramelize; remove the sausage and set aside, leaving the rendered fat in the wok.

Return the wok to the heat and quickly stir-fry the minced garlic and a spoonful of sambal to bloom the aromatics and chili.

Add the prawns and cockles and toss until the prawns turn pink and the cockles open (discard any that do not open).

Push the shellfish and aromatics to one side of the wok, pour in the beaten eggs and scramble briefly so they’re still slightly soft.

Add the loosened noodles and pour over the seasoning sauce; use tongs or spatulas to toss and fold the noodles so they absorb the sauce evenly and pick up a bit of char from the wok.

Return the cooked lap cheong to the wok, then add the bean sprouts and chives and toss everything together over very high heat for 30–60 seconds to wilt the greens while keeping some crunch.

Plate the Char Kway Teow and finish with a generous sprinkle of Pork lard cracklings (chu yau char) for crunch; serve immediately with extra sambal on the side if desired.