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Champon
ちゃんぽん: thick noodles in a milky broth crowded with seafood, pork and vegetables
Champon belongs to Nagasaki, the port that stayed open to Chinese and Dutch traders for centuries. It was created there at the end of the 19th century by a Chinese restaurant owner who wanted a cheap, filling meal for Chinese students, and the city's Chinatown still serves it in huge bowls. Pork, squid, prawns, fishcake and a pile of cabbage are fried in one wok, then the stock goes in and the thick noodles cook right in the soup. Restaurants make the cloudy broth from long-boiled pork and chicken bones; at home a little milk gives the same mellow, creamy look. Chef's tip: fry everything over the highest heat in small batches; the slight scorch on the cabbage and pork is what flavours the soup.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 2
Ingredients
For the toppings
For the soup and noodles
Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Heat 1 tbsp lard or vegetable oil in a wok or wide deep pan over high heat until it shimmers. Add 1 clove garlic and 3 ½ oz thinly sliced pork belly and stir-fry until the pork is browned with no pink left.
3 minStep 2: Add 3 ½ oz squid tubes and 8 raw prawns and stir-fry until the prawns are pink and opaque and the squid rings have turned white and firm, 1 to 2 minutes. Lift out all the meat and seafood onto a plate so it does not overcook.
2 minStep 3: Put the wok back on high heat. Add ½ onion, ½ carrot and 5 ½ oz white or pointed cabbage and stir-fry until the cabbage edges are lightly scorched but still crisp. Common mistake: piling in all the vegetables at once over a low flame; they stew instead of fry and the soup tastes flat, so keep the heat high and work in two batches if your pan is small.
4 minStep 4: Add 3 ½ oz bean sprouts, 8 mangetout, ⅛ oz dried wood ear mushrooms and 2 ⅛ oz Japanese fishcake (kamaboko or chikuwa) and toss for 1 minute.
1 minStep 5: Pour in 2 ½ cups chicken stock, add 1 tbsp oyster sauce and bring to a hard boil for 3 minutes. The fat from the pan mixes into the stock and turns it cloudy.
4 minStep 6: Add 10 ½ oz fresh champon noodles or thick fresh ramen noodles straight to the soup, loosening them with chopsticks, and boil for the time on the pack, usually 3 to 4 minutes, until just tender.
4 minStep 7: Return the pork and seafood, pour in ¾ cup whole milk and heat over medium heat until it just comes back to a simmer; do not let it boil hard once the milk is in. Season with ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp white pepper.
2 minStep 8: Divide between 2 large, deep bowls, noodles first, then the toppings, and ladle over the soup. Serve hot.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 690 kcal
- Protein
- 42 g
- Carbs
- 78 g
- Fat
- 20 g
- Fibre
- 7 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does champon take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 2 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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