Char Kway Teow

Method24 steps · about 1 hr

1. 1

   Step 1: Keep the live cockles cold. Discard broken shells and cockles that do not close when tapped. Scrub the exterior shells with a clean stiff brush under drinking water to remove mud and sand, keeping shellfish and their juices away from other prepared food.

   Uses 300 g live shell-on cockles · Drinking water, as needed for exterior-shell scrubbing

2. 2

   Step 2: Dissolve the 2 tsp purge salt in enough cold water to cover the scrubbed cockles. Soak for about 30 minutes in the refrigerator, then drain and discard the purge water. Other cold preparation can proceed while the purge runs.

   Cold cockle purge · 30 minUses All the scrubbed live cockles from step 1, with scrubbing water discarded · Cold water, enough for the purge · 2 tsp purge salt

3. 3

   Step 3: Bring fresh cockle-cooking water to a full boil. Add the purged cockles and watch for the shells to open, keeping the water boiling.

   Uses All the drained cockles from step 2, with salt-water purge discarded · Fresh water, enough for boiling cockles

4. 4

   Step 4: After the shells open, continue boiling for a further 3–5 minutes, checking from 3 minutes. Discard any cockles that remain closed after cooking. Lift the cooked cockles out, cool just enough to handle, remove their meat and any trapped grit, then promptly refrigerate the meat in a clean covered container until the immediate stir-fry. Divide the extracted meat equally between the two batches; discard shells and boiling water.

   Boil opened cockles · 3 minUses All the cockles and cooking water from step 3

5. 5

   Step 5: Pat the raw pork fat (200 g) dry with kitchen paper and cut it into roughly 1½ cm squares. Keep ready for rendering.

   Uses 200 g raw pork fat

6. 6

   Step 6: Remove the sprout roots, wash and drain thoroughly. Divide the prepared sprouts equally between the two batches and keep them ready for thorough cooking.

   Uses 100 g bean sprouts · Water, as needed to wash the sprouts

7. 7

   Step 7: Soak the two Chinese sausages in hot water for about 10 minutes. Drain, remove the casings and slice thinly on the diagonal. Divide the slices equally between the two batches and keep refrigerated until cooking.

   Soften sausage casings · 10 minUses 2 Chinese sausages · Hot water, enough for the sausage-casing soak

8. 8

   Step 8: Shell and devein all twelve prawns, then pat them dry. Mix with the measured 1 tsp sugar and marinate for 30 minutes in the refrigerator. Keep six prepared prawns for each batch.

   Cold prawn marinade · 30 minUses 12 prawns · 1 tsp sugar for the prawn marinade

9. 9

   Step 9: Peel and finely chop the garlic (2 tbsp), measuring 2 tbsp after chopping. Set aside two separate 1 tbsp portions for the batches.

   Uses 2 tbsp finely chopped garlic

10. 10

    Step 10: Beat all three eggs in a bowl, then divide the beaten mixture into two equal portions. Keep them refrigerated until needed. Divide the other prepared ingredients into two batches before heating the wok.

    Uses 3 eggs

11. 11

    Step 11: Wash and drain the chives (50 g), cut into 5 cm lengths and divide the prepared chives equally between the two batches.

    Uses 50 g chives · Water, as needed to wash the chives

12. 12

    Step 12: Slice the ready cooked fish cake (1 piece) thinly and divide the slices equally between the two batches.

    Uses 1 piece ready cooked fish cake

13. 13

    Step 13: Wash the lime and any fresh chili. Halve the lime and finely chop the chili, then cover and refrigerate the garnishes until serving. Have every other prepared ingredient and measured sauce beside the wok before starting the stir-fry.

    Uses Lime, as desired for serving · Optional fresh chili, as desired for serving · Water, as needed to wash lime and fresh chili

14. 14

    Step 14: Place the pork-fat pieces in the wok and heat gently, stirring as the fat renders. As the solids start to turn yellow, lower the heat and watch closely; stop as soon as they are light golden and crisp, before they turn brown or bitter. Lift the crisp solids onto a clean plate for serving and pour the rendered oil into a heatproof bowl. Use this same oil throughout the two batches: four separate ½ tbsp draws plus one ½ tsp draw per batch. Keep any unused oil separate.

    Uses All the 200 g pork-fat pieces cut in step 5

15. 15

    Step 15: Heat ½ tbsp rendered pork oil over low heat. Fry the first half of the sausage slices for about 30 seconds until fragrant, continuing as needed to meet the product cooking directions and cook any raw sausage fully. Transfer to a clean plate, keeping it ready to return to this batch.

    First sausage-fragrance check · 1 minUses Half the slices from the two sausages prepared in step 7; the other half remains cold · ½ tbsp from the rendered oil in step 14, with crisp solids and remaining oil separate

16. 16

    Step 16: Raise the heat to medium-high and heat another ½ tbsp rendered pork oil. Add the first 1 tbsp chopped garlic and stir-fry just until fragrant without burning.

    Uses ½ tbsp rendered oil from step 14 · 1 tbsp of the measured chopped garlic prepared in step 9; reserve the other tablespoon

17. 17

    Step 17: Add the first 250 g of fresh kway teow to the fragrant garlic and fry for about 2 minutes, tossing to separate and heat the noodles.

    Fry first noodle portion · 2 minUses All the fragrant garlic and oil from step 16 · 250 g fresh kway teow for the first batch

18. 18

    Step 18: Add 2 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tbsp dark soy sauce, ½ tbsp sweet sauce, half the prepared chives and half the fish-cake slices. Add 1 tbsp chili paste if desired. Toss until evenly mixed.

    Uses All the first-batch wok contents from step 17 · 2 tbsp light soy sauce · 1 tbsp dark soy sauce · ½ tbsp sweet sauce · Half the prepared chives from step 11; reserve the other half · Half the sliced fish cake from step 12 · Optional 1 tbsp chili paste for this batch

19. 19

    Step 19: Push the noodles to one side and add another ½ tbsp rendered oil to the clear part of the wok. Pour in half the beaten eggs, spread out and add ¼ tsp fish sauce. Fold the noodles over the egg and stir until the egg is fully set with no runny parts.

    Uses All the first-batch wok contents from step 18 · ½ tbsp rendered oil from step 14 · Half of the three-egg mixture prepared in step 10; reserve the other half · ¼ tsp fish sauce

20. 20

    Step 20: Push the noodles aside again and add another ½ tbsp rendered oil. Add the first six marinated prawns, then half the prepared bean sprouts. Stir and fold through the noodles until the prawns are fully opaque, pearly and firm and the sprouts are thoroughly cooked and hot through; continue cooking as needed.

    Uses All the wok contents from step 19 · ½ tbsp rendered oil from step 14 · Six of the twelve prawns cold-marinated in step 8; keep the other six cold · Half the trimmed and washed sprouts from step 6, with washing water discarded; reserve the other half

21. 21

    Step 21: Push the noodles to one side and add half the cooked cockle meat with ½ tsp rendered oil. Fold the noodles over it and toss until the refrigerated cooked meat is fully reheated to 74°C/165°F and hot through.

    Uses All the wok contents from step 20 · Half the cooked extracted cockle meat from step 4, with shells and cooking water discarded; keep the other half cold · ½ tsp rendered oil from step 14

22. 22

    Step 22: If this batch is too dry, sprinkle in only as much of the chosen water OR ready prawn stock as needed, up to 25 ml; do not add both. Return the fried sausage and toss until all the food is fully cooked and hot through. Transfer this first batch to a clean heatproof serving dish and keep it hot at 60°C/140°F or above while cooking the second batch.

    Uses All the first-batch wok contents from step 21 · All the first sausage portion lifted to the plate in step 15, with frying oil kept separate · Chosen water allowance: as needed, up to 25 ml for this batch · Chosen ready-stock allowance: as needed, up to 25 ml instead of water

23. 23

    Step 23: Cook the second batch using the remaining half of every prepared ingredient. Repeat steps 15–22: fry the remaining sausage slices in ½ tbsp rendered oil, reserve them; fry the remaining 1 tbsp chopped garlic in another ½ tbsp oil until fragrant, then fry the remaining 250 g noodles for about 2 minutes. Add the remaining 2 tbsp light soy, 1 tbsp dark soy, ½ tbsp sweet sauce, half the chives and fish cake, and optional 1 tbsp chili paste. Cook the remaining half of the beaten egg with ½ tbsp oil and ¼ tsp fish sauce until set. Add the six remaining prawns and half the sprouts with another ½ tbsp oil, cooking the prawns fully and the sprouts thoroughly. Add the remaining cooked cockle meat with ½ tsp oil and reheat to 74°C/165°F and hot through. Return the sausage, using only as much of the chosen water or ready-stock allowance as needed, up to 25 ml. Keep all of this second batch hot through.

    Uses Four remaining ½ tbsp draws, totalling 2 tbsp, from step 14 · Remaining ½ tsp draw from step 14 · Remaining half of the prepared sausage slices from step 7 · Remaining 1 tbsp chopped garlic from step 9 · Remaining 250 g fresh kway teow · Remaining 2 tbsp light soy sauce · Remaining 1 tbsp dark soy sauce · Remaining ½ tbsp sweet sauce

24. 24

    Step 24: Serve both freshly cooked batches hot, with the reserved crisp pork-fat pieces, prepared lime and optional chopped fresh chili. Divide between six portions.

    Uses All the first batch kept hot in step 22 · All the second batch just completed in step 23 · Reserved crisp solids from step 14, with rendered oil used separately · Prepared garnishes from step 13, with washing water discarded