A few days ago I'd never heard of this dish and now I've made it twice in two days! A colleague at work was telling me about this great dinner they'd made, a noodle dish, from Gizzi Erskine's Healthy Appetite. Another book to go on my wish list!
I'm a Gizzi fan and a noodle fan so that was it for me, no further discussion needed - and I bought the few things I needed that I didn't already have at home ready to make it.
Well, except for making a trip to the Thai supermarket to get the wide rice noodles it really needs (it's been freezing in London this weekend and has not been weather for going out).
So I used some thin dried rice noodles from the supermarket that were in the cupboard and it was so good I can only imagine how much better it's going to be with those wide slippery noodles. So much so that I'd even go out in freezing rain for them next time I make this if necessary.
This dish is another that I know might sound a bit odd. Egg gravy anyone?
But as with my recent discovery of Eggs in Masala, it's another one that is just so much lovelier than it sounds.
Another one that's just perfect comfort food for wintry days (and nights) . .. it's soft and soothing and delicious.
Back to the recipe. The recipe I'd been given was for four, so I just made up what the measurements would be for one (very greedy) portion. I had to improvise a little at various stages and wasn't quite confident enough in my version to share it.
But I was very intrigued by the recipe so searched online and found a few other versions and made mine again today with more confidence and slightly more simply.
This serves a huge portion for one very hungry person (it actually defeated me today which is unheard of - but don't worry, I went back to it and finished it off an hour later) or two as a very light meal. Or just add a few more noodles for two and another rasher of bacon to make it for two - honestly, I don't think it's possible to ruin this dish no matter what you do!
Prepare the noodles as required so they're ready to stir fry, and then then other ingredients you'll need are:
cooking oil
1 teaspoon light soy sauce
1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
1 teaspoon oyster sauce
1-2 cloves garlic (your choice, I used two), finely chopped
a small piece of fresh ginger, finely chopped
1 rasher unsmoked streaky bacon, chopped into small pieces
some thinly sliced chillies in a little soy sauce, to serve
some slices of squid (I had one small squid ready cleaned from the supermarket fish counter) - I like it in slices then scored so they end up rolling up into tubes, but you could use ready sliced into rings calamari if that's what you have
a few prawns - I had four - deveined
1/2 cup or so chicken stock (I used half a Knorr cube and then just topped up with boiling water straight into the cup)
light soy sauce
white sugar
white pepper
some pak choi or other leafy green vegetable
one egg, beaten (you actually only need half an egg, so instead of breaking straight into the pan, it's easiest to beat it first and then tip in half. To be honest I was a bit heavy handed and it didn't affect the deliciousness!)
Heat a pan, add a glug of oil and when hot add the noodles, soy sauces and oyster sauce and stir fry over a medium heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring all the time so the noodles don't stick. Some recipes say to cook until 'charred' or 'caramelised' but I wasn't really sure what this would look like so just cooked a little longer than I'd though necessary, so all the sauces are coating the noodles and then noodles are hot through.
Tip into a bowl and put somewhere to keep warm.
Wipe the pan with kitchen paper if your noodles stuck at all, or just put straight back onto the heat and add some more oil, then the chopped garlic.
Stir fry for a few seconds until the garlic smells good and add the ginger, bacon and squid and stir over a medium heat for a few minutes, taking care that the garlic doesn't burn (don't have the heat on too high!).
Add the prawns, stir and tip in the stock plus a dash of soy sauce, a pinch of sugar and a shake of white pepper. Stir and then simmer for two or three minutes til the prawns are done.
Next stir in the cornflour and water mixture and keep stirring for a minute or so as the gravy thickens. If it looks too thick just add a splash of water.
Add the pak choi and stir for another half a minute, then turn the heat off and immediate pour in (half) the beaten egg, stirring all the time so it scrambles . Keep stirring until it's all combined and the egg cooked in the hot gravy.
Get the bowl of noodles and unstick them a little if they've stuck together a bit then top with the lovely gravy.
Top with some of the sliced chillies and soy sauce, if liked.
Twice in two days and I'm still not sick of this! If it wasn't for the fact I have a bacon and egg pie to make I'd even be considering having it for dinner too!
Would love to know what you think! Please make it and let me know.
PS. Next time I make prawn balls, I'll be saving a few to freeze to halve and have with this dish. I'd fry them at the same time as the bacon and squid.
