Once in a while, we will cook Fish Ball Bee Hoon Soup for lunch on a weekend. Bee Hoon is also known as Rice Vermicelli. The clear soup is refreshing especially on a hot day. We usually use Ikan Bilis stock for the soup as it makes the soup tastier.

I would advise that you buy the Fish Balls from the wet market and have it cooked the same day to enjoy its freshness. If you are unable to cook them on the same day, do keep them in the fridge and cook them the next day. I don’t think preservatives are added to these fish balls and so, they don’t last long.

This is my recipe for Fish Ball Bee Hoon Soup. Serves 4 people.

Ingredients

• 1/2 packet of bee hoon (approximately 150 grammes) (pre-soaked in water for 30 minutes to soften)
• 15 to 20 fish balls
• 100 grammes of pork tenderloin (sliced thinly) (optional)
• 200 grammes of choy sum (chinese mustard leaves) (washed and cut into 6 cm lengths)
• 5 to 8 shallots (sliced thinly)
• 100 grammes of ikan bilis (dried anchovies)
• a pinch of salted chinese vegetables (tung chai)
• 3 tablespoons of palm oil
• 1.25 litres or 5 soup bowls of water

Marinade (for pork tenderloin slices)

• 2 teaspoons of light soya sauce
• a couple of dashes of white pepper powder
• 1 teaspoon of corn flour

Seasoning

• 2 tablespoons of light soya sauce
• Salt to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon of MSG (optional)

Method

Marinade pork tenderloin slices for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, boil ikan bilis in water for at least 45 minutes. Remove ikan bilis when done.

Fry shallots in oil under medium heat till golden brown. Remove fried shallots from oil and set aside.

With remaining oil in wok / pot, stir-fry the pork tenderloin slices for 30 seconds. Add ikan bilis stock above and bring to boil.

Add pre-soaked bee hoon into boiling stock followed by choy sum and fish balls and let the ingredients cook for at least 2 minutes in boiling condition. The fish balls will float to surface when cooked. Add seasoning to taste.

Separate into individual bowls and sprinkle fried shallots and chinese salted vegetables prior to serving

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Fish Ball Bee Hoon Soup

Any visit to Sarawak, Malaysia especially to the major cities and towns like Kuching, Bintulu, Sibu and Miri would not be complete without a sampling or indulging in the very delicious Sarawak Laksa. Many locals swear by their favourite stalls and some stalls are really famous. You will have to be there early to catch a bowl.

I cooked Sarawak Laksa last Saturday. Invited some friends over and had a good time. Some say it tastes good but I felt that it lacked something. Could it be the laksa paste was not spicy enough? Of could it be due to my removal of some of the oil from the soup for health reasons?

If you have cooked it before, I would appreciate your comments.

This is the Recipe for Sarawak Laksa which I cooked. Good enough for 16 bowls.

Ingredients

• 750 grammes of Bee Hoon (rice vermicelli) (pre-soaked)
• 1.2 kilogrammes of medium-sized prawns (with head and shell)
• 1.5 kilogramme chicken (whole bird minus the head and feet)
• 5 eggs
• 500 grammes of bean sprouts
• 16 to 20 pieces of lime
• 900 grammes of Sarawak Laksa paste (I used the “Swallow” brand)
• Coconut milk from 1 1/2 coconuts (about 300 mls)
• Salt and sugar to taste
• 20 bowls of water (about 8 litres)
• Coriander leaves (for garnishing)

From top left (clockwise) : Beansprouts, beehoon,
shredded chicken, egg strips and prawns

Method

Beat eggs and fry them thinly on a frying pan. Cut into strips. Set aside.

Boil 4 litres of water in a stock pot. Upon boiling, add 2 teaspoons of salt followed by prawns. Boil the prawns till they start to float indicating that they are cooked. Remove the prawns and let it cool.

Separately, boil 4 litres of water in another stock pot. Upon boiling, add 2 teaspooons of salt followed by the chicken. Boil till chicken is thoroughly cooked. Remove chicken and let it cool.

Remove head and shell from prawn. Put back the head and shell into the first pot, cover lid and continue boiling for at least 2 hours on medium heat. Place prawn aside.

Remove chicken meat from bones and shred the meat using fingers. Put back the chicken bones into the second pot, cover lid and continue boiling for at least 2 hours on medium heat. Place shredded chicken meat aside.

Once both stock are cooked, remove heads and shells of prawns as well as chicken bones. Combine the stock into one pot. Add Sarawak Laksa paste and let it boil at medium to high heat for at least 30 minutes.

Using freshly boiled water, blanch the beansprouts in 3 batches for 1 minute each. Drain beansprouts and set aside.

Next, cook the pre-soaked beehoon in 4 to 5 batches by blanching them in boiling water for at least 1 minute. Drain and set aside.

After the Sarawak Laksa paste has been left boiling for at least 30 minutes, turn off heat and sieve and remove the spice from the stock. Bring the stock (now laksa soup) to boil again. Turn off heat and add coconut milk gradually whilst stirring. Add salt and sugar to taste.

To serve, first place cooked beehoon on a bowl. Add beansprouts, shredded chicken, prawns and egg strips. Then pour the laksa soup over the ingredients.

Garnish with coriander leaves and squeeze a lime over the soup before eating.

It is not recommended that the laksa be kept overnight as coconut milk is used.

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Sarawak Laksa

Yesterday, we were rummaging through our kitchen to find out what we have which we could cook for lunch. In most Chinese homes, dried chinese mushrooms and dried prawns / shrimps are commonly found. So are bee hoon (rice vermicelli).

I have previously shared with you how to cook Bee Hoon with Stewed Pork Ribs. But yesterday, we have no stewed pork ribs in stock at home. What we have is chicken frankfurters. So, I decided to mix and match and am quite pleased with the outcome.

This is what I did :-

Ingredients

• 250 grammes bee hoon (pre-soaked till soft and drained)
• 4 pieces chicken frankfurters (cut diagonally – or whichever way you like)
• 5 pieces dried chinese mushrooms (pre-soaked in one bowl (about 250 ml) of water till soft and slivered. Remove stalk)
• 50 grammes dried prawns (pre-soaked in about 150 ml of water)
• 100 grammes chinese mustard (more if you like)
• 2 eggs
• 4 bulbs garlic (minced)
• 3 tablespoons cooking oil (preferably palm oil)
• 3 pieces Lime

From top (clockwise): Beehoon, frankfurters, eggs, minced garlic,
chinese mustard, dried prawns and dried mushrooms

Seasoning

• 3 teaspoons light soya sauce or to taste
• Dash of white pepper powder to taste

Method

Heat oil in wok. Fry the chinese mushrooms for about 30 seconds and remove from oil.

Proceed to fry the dried prawns for 30 seconds. Add garlic followed by the frankfurters and eggs. Stir-fry till eggs are done and add back the chinese mushrooms.

Add bee hoon and stir fry for about 3 minutes, gradually adding water which was used to soak the mushrooms and dried prawns a little at a time to keep the bee hoon moist. Add seasoning followed by chinese mustard.

Continue stir-frying till chinese mustard and bee hoon is cooked.

Serve with a squeeze of lime.

This recipe serves 3 to 4 persons.

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Bee Hoon with Chicken Frankfurters and Chinese Mushrooms