Sliced Fish Mee Sua

Method16 steps · about 1 hr

1. 1

   Step 1: Using a clean board, halve the fully thawed fish fillet crosswise and cut it into slices about 5 mm thick. Do not rinse the raw fish. Keep it refrigerated while preparing the other ingredients.

   Uses 400–450 g batang fish fillet, cut into 5 mm slices

2. 2

   Step 2: Mix all 150 ml marinade water, ½ tsp marinade oil, 1 tbsp cornstarch and ¼ tsp marinade salt in a bowl. Add the sliced fish, mix gently, cover and refrigerate until its cooking step. The remaining raw-fish marinade will be discarded.

   Uses All sliced fish · 150 ml water for fish marinade, discarded · ½ tsp oil for fish marinade · 1 tbsp cornstarch for fish marinade · ¼ tsp salt for fish marinade

3. 3

   Step 3: Peel and wash the ginger (4-6 slices), then prepare all 4–6 thin slices before heating the pan.

   Uses 4-6 slices Ginger · Water for washing ginger

4. 4

   Step 4: Wash and chop the spring onions (2 sprigs); wash and trim the chye sim (150 g). Wash and finely slice all 3–4 chilli padi, then mix them with the 2 tsp light soy sauce as a separate condiment. Keep the chopped garnish and condiment chilled until serving.

   Uses 2 sprigs spring onion, washed and finely chopped · 150 g chye sim, washed and trimmed · 3–4 chilli padi, finely sliced for the soy condiment · 2 tsp Light Soy Sauce · Water for washing spring onions, greens and chillies

5. 5

   Step 5: Rinse the 100 g yellow soybeans and drain them.

   Uses 100 g yellow soybeans · Water for rinsing yellow soybeans, discarded

6. 6

   Step 6: Bring all 2 litres broth water to a boil in a separate pot or kettle.

   Uses 2 litres water for the broth

7. 7

   Step 7: Heat the 1 tbsp ginger-frying oil in the soup pot over high heat. Add the prepared ginger and fry until fragrant without burning it.

   Uses 1 tbsp oil for frying ginger · All prepared ginger slices

8. 8

   Step 8: Carefully pour all 2 litres boiling broth water into the ginger pot, keeping clear of splashes. Bring the combined broth back to a boil.

   Uses All fried ginger and its oil · All 2 litres boiling broth water

9. 9

   Step 9: Add the drained yellow soybeans to the broth and simmer over medium heat. Check after about 25 minutes; continue simmering as needed until the beans are fully softened, not hard at the centre.

   Check soybean tenderness · 25 minUses All prepared ginger broth · All rinsed and drained soybeans

10. 10

    Step 10: Once the beans are fully softened, stir in the 1 tsp broth salt. Bring the broth back to a boil, then blanch all prepared chye sim for 1–2 minutes, checking from 1 minute, until tender. Lift the greens to a clean plate while leaving the beans and broth in the pot; keep the soup hot.

    Check chye sim · 1 minUses The hot soybean broth · 1 tsp salt for the broth · All prepared chye sim, separate from the garnish and condiment

11. 11

    Step 11: In a separate large pot or wok, bring about 3 litres noodle-cooking water to a full boil. Do not wash the mee sua. Cook the first bundle for about 2 minutes, gently separating it with chopsticks until tender. Drain it into its serving bowl; if the cooking water becomes very starchy, add boiling water as needed.

    Check first mee sua bundle · 2 minUses First of five mee sua bundles · About 3 litres separate noodle-cooking water; extra boiling water only as needed

12. 12

    Step 12: Cook the remaining four mee sua bundles one at a time in the separate boiling water, allowing about 2 minutes for each and checking tenderness. Drain each into a serving bowl and divide the blanched chye sim between all five bowls. Discard the noodle-cooking water. Add soup only when ready to serve so the noodles do not become soggy.

    Uses The first cooked noodle portion, lifted from its cooking water · Remaining four mee sua bundles · All lifted greens, separate from the retained broth · Retained noodle-cooking water for the remaining bundles · Extra boiling noodle water only as needed

13. 13

    Step 13: Bring the retained soybean broth to a full boil. Lift all fish slices from their marinade into the soup and discard the remaining marinade. Stir gently and cook just until every slice is fully opaque and separates easily, or reaches 63°C/145°F. Lower or turn off the heat only once the fish is cooked through; do not assume adding it to hot soup immediately completes cooking.

    Uses All retained hot soybean broth and beans, separate from lifted greens · All fish lifted from its raw-contact marinade

14. 14

    Step 14: Immediately divide the hot soup, soybeans and fully cooked fish among the five noodle-and-greens bowls.

    Uses All fully cooked fish, beans and broth · All five drained noodle-and-greens portions

15. 15

    Step 15: Add a dash of pepper and divide all 4 tbsp ready crispy shallots and the chopped spring onions over the five bowls.

    Uses All five assembled soup bowls · Pepper, a dash to taste · 4 tbsp ready crispy shallots, for garnishing · All chopped spring onions, separate from the soy-chilli condiment

16. 16

    Step 16: Serve the fish mee sua hot, offering the prepared soy-chilli condiment to taste. Add a little extra salt only if needed. Refrigerate any unused condiment promptly.

    Uses All five garnished bowls · The prepared chilli and 2 tsp soy sauce, used to taste · Optional additional salt, only to taste