Prawn Mee & Pork Ribs (Hae Mee)

All those who love the deep and rich taste of seafood will absolutely love this dish. An Asian take on the commonly known surf & turf when paired with pork ribs, the flavors of umami will hit your tastebuds and leave you wanting more. Naysayers believe that mixing pork with prawn is a culinary faux pas, but fret not, because this delicious prawn mee recipe will blow their criticisms out of the water. Ringing it in at $5 per bowl with fresh prawn and pork from your local market, this is definitely #WarTimeWorthy without a doubt.

Ingredients list - serves 2
500g pork ribs and or bones
300g chinese yellow noodles or mee pok
2 tbsp cooking oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 star anise
800g fresh prawns (I used tiger prawns)8 cups water
1 tsp white pepper1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
a pinch of salt or more to taste
1 tbsp sugar or more to taste1 bunch bok choy or kang kong (water spinach)

Instructions:
1. Clean and devein the prawns and save all the prawn heads and shells. At the same time, boil some water in a pot. When the water has reached a boil, blanch the pork ribs and bones for about 2 minutes. Remove from the water and set aside.

2. Heat the cooking oil in a deep frying pan and stir fry the minced garlic until fragrant.

3. Add the prawn heads and shells and cook until they turn a bright orange. Add the prawn heads, shells and fragrant garlic into a pot and add 8 cups of water. Bring the pot to the boil and add the pork ribs and bones, star anise, white pepper, fish sauce, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, salt and sugar. Turn to a low heat and let the soup simmer for about 1-1.5 hours.

4. The soup is done when the pork is soft enough they are almost falling off the bone. Place the pork ribs into a separate plate. Using a strainer, strain the stock and discard all the solids.

5. Bring the soup to a boil and blanch the prawns but do not over cook them. Using a noodle basket if you have one, if not a large ladle, cook the chinese yellow noodles or mee pok in the soup for about 45 seconds. Blanch the bok choy or kang kong in the soup for about a minute.

6. Ladle the soup into bowls with the noodles, bok choy or kang kong and serve with pork ribs and prawns. For a spicy kick, serve with a side of soy sauce and cut chili padi!

Pairs perfectly with Cousiño-Macul Don Luis Sauvignon Blanc.