Char Kway Teow (炒粿条) — Smoky Malaysian Stir-Fried Rice Noodles

• 700 gfresh flat rice noodles (wide kway teow, loosened gently by hand)
• 60 gpork lard
• 5 clovegarlic (finely chopped)
• 300 glarge prawns (peeled and deveined)
• 200 gfresh cockles (briefly blanched and shelled)
• 120 gChinese sausage (lap cheong, thinly sliced on the diagonal)
• 4eggs
• 220 gbean sprouts (rinsed and well drained)
• 80 gChinese chives (cut into 5 cm lengths)
• 3 tbsplight soy sauce
• 1.5 tbspdark soy sauce
• 1 tbspoyster sauce
• 2 tspfish sauce
• 0.5 tspwhite pepper
• 1 tspsugar
• 2 tbspchili paste (Malaysian-style ground red chili paste, adjust by measured portion only)

Instructions

1. 1

   Combine the light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce, white pepper, sugar, and chili paste in a small bowl. Stir until the sugar dissolves so the sauce can be added quickly without slowing the wok.

2. 2

   Separate the fresh rice noodles gently with your fingers, keeping the strands as intact as possible. If they are stiff from refrigeration, steam them for 2 minutes or microwave them covered for 45 seconds before loosening.

3. 3

   Heat a well-seasoned carbon-steel wok over high heat until a faint wisp of smoke appears. Add 15 g of the pork lard, then add one quarter of the garlic and stir for 5 seconds until fragrant but not brown.

4. 4

   Cook the dish in 4 small batches for proper wok hei and noodle texture. For each batch, add 75 g prawns and 30 g Chinese sausage, then stir-fry for about 45 seconds until the prawns are just turning opaque.

5. 5

   Add 175 g rice noodles to the wok and spread them across the hot surface for 10 seconds before tossing. Spoon in one quarter of the prepared sauce and stir-fry briskly for 45 to 60 seconds, letting the noodles char lightly at the edges.

6. 6

   Push the noodles to one side of the wok and crack in 1 egg. Break the yolk, let the egg set for 10 seconds, then fold the noodles through it so small curds cling to the strands.

7. 7

   Add 55 g bean sprouts, 20 g Chinese chives, and 50 g cockles to the wok. Toss for 20 to 30 seconds only, keeping the sprouts crisp and the cockles tender rather than overcooked.

8. 8

   Slide the finished batch onto a warm plate and repeat the same process with the remaining lard, garlic, prawns, sausage, noodles, sauce, eggs, vegetables, and cockles. Serve immediately after the final batch because char kway teow loses its smoky fragrance as it sits.