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Danzai noodles
Noodles with prawn and minced pork
Tàⁿ-á-mī (擔仔麵): little bowls of yellow noodles in prawn broth with braised minced pork, a prawn and garlic
TaiwaneseTainan's most famous snack began with fishermen who, in the stormy months when boats stayed in harbour, carried noodles and broth through the streets on a shoulder pole. It is still served in deliberately small bowls, eaten as a between-meals bite rather than a dinner: springy yellow noodles and bean sprouts in a sweet, clear prawn-shell broth, crowned with a spoonful of slow-cooked minced pork, a single prawn, garlic paste and a dot of black vinegar. Pork is the heart of the topping, braised until sticky with shallots and five-spice. The mistake to avoid is drowning the bowl: use only enough broth to half-cover the noodles, so the meat sauce seasons it. Chef's tip: toast the prawn shells and heads in a dry pot until they turn bright red before adding water; it doubles the sweetness of the broth.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the meat sauce
- 10 ½ oz pork mincenot too lean
- 5 shallotsfinely sliced
- 3 cloves garlicfinely chopped
- 3 tbsp neutral oil
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp rock sugaror sugar
- ¼ tsp five-spice powder
- 1 ¼ cups water
For the broth
- 8 raw shell-on prawnslarge; peeled and deveined, shells and heads kept
- 5 cups pork or chicken stock
- ½ tsp saltto taste
For the bowls
- 5 ½ oz bean sproutstails picked if you have time
- 4 cloves garlicpounded to a paste with a little water
- 2 tsp black vinegar
- 1 handful fresh coriander (optional)leaves picked
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Method
0/9 doneStep 1: Heat 3 tbsp neutral oil in a small heavy pan over a medium heat and fry 5 shallots, stirring, until golden and crisp at the edges.
6 minStep 2: Add 3 cloves garlic and fry for 30 seconds, then add 10 ½ oz pork mince. Break it up with a spatula and fry until it has lost all its pink and starts to brown.
6 minStep 3: Stir in 3 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp rock sugar, ¼ tsp five-spice powder and 1 ¼ cups water. Simmer gently, uncovered, stirring now and then, until the sauce is dark, glossy and spoonable and the pork is tender (it will be far past 160°F).
30 minStep 4: While the sauce cooks, put the prawn shells and heads in a dry pot over a medium heat and toast, stirring, until bright red and fragrant.
3 minStep 5: Pour 5 cups pork or chicken stock over the shells, bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes, then strain and return the broth to the pot. Season with ½ tsp salt.
15 minStep 6: Poach the peeled 8 raw shell-on prawns in the hot broth for 2 minutes, until pink all over and opaque in the centre. Lift out and keep warm.
2 minStep 7: Bring a large pan of water to the boil. Blanch 5 ½ oz bean sprouts for 20 seconds, scoop out, then cook 14 oz fresh yellow alkaline noodles for 1–2 minutes, until just tender with a little bite. Drain well.
Step 8: Divide the noodles and bean sprouts between small bowls and ladle in hot broth to come halfway up the noodles.
Step 9: Top each bowl with a big spoonful of the meat sauce, a prawn, a dab of 4 cloves garlic, a few drops of 2 tsp black vinegar and 1 handful fresh coriander. Serve straight away.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 560 kcal
- Protein
- 30 g
- Carbs
- 62 g
- Fat
- 21 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does danzai noodles take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of shallots?
- Half an onion per 2 shallots.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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