Penang Char Kway Teow

I long for a few days to myself where I can totally switch off, unplugged from the everyday.
I long for days where I can indulge in a full day of quiet joy.
I long for days where I can be in the same PJs the whole day.

I can totally live on my bed all day and be really contented too. Not having a care if it's breakfast time, brunch or dinner. I will cook and bake to my whims and fancies. On such days, I tend to reward myself with food. Feed myself whenever I am hungry. Make long breakfast to last till lunch, veg out on the couch in front of a television catching up on a long drama. Immerse myself with the book I never quite get to finish. Paint or draw something perhaps. Start a herb box that I always wanted. Cook a luxurious meal thats calls for a whole afternoon of chopping, mending and stirring (my Assam Penang laksa last Friday).  Not be bounded with time and agendas nor with the beeps and rings from the phone. I can be quite greedy with this. A day is never enough because my list is quite long.

I am glad. I am glad. The weekend happen to be a long one and I did just all of that.

Reading - Finish the book. I am half way through though I am still dozing off with it every night.
Cooking - Eat without rules. Sneaking in the carbs, sweets, anything that I fancy.
TV - Catch up with the latest season and hoard the couch and television all day and night.
Drawing - let the ink run wild with doodles. Making art on my moleskin.
Gardening - Go out grab a nice herb plant. Make it live till next month hopefully.
Hang out - spent the afternoon chatting about food with my sister. Talking about writing a book.
Sleep - No annoying alarms. My eyes hadn't felt big and fresh for a long time.
No make-ups - Did I even shower?

I know I know... You are thinking about pancakes, waffles, eggs and almost everything pretty but I think my heart stills lives in a time a week ago on our little the trip to Penang. For this breakfast dish holds a very special place in my heart. Although this dish can be found in various forms throughout Malaysia and Singapore, most obviously, it varies from white to black. The Penang version (white) is generally heralded as the one to which all others should aspire. It is really very good.

There are numerous version of this recipe. This one came from Kafe Heng Huat where I stood point blank in front of Madam Soon taking mental notes watching her plate plates after plates. Only to find out she's well-known for the meanest plate of Char Kway Teow on the island. Famous for her arrogance and expensive yet deliciousness that will make you bow and fall onto your knees. I did. 
Madam Soon Penang Char Kway Teow
For a plate of goodness at breakfast.
Prep before heating the work - Get the ingredients ready beside your wok because it's gonna move very fast.
Have a very hot wok - It turns the Char Kway Teow from mediocre to magical.
Kungfu - Cook a portion at a time and be fast handed - The best are not too oily and the noodles should ideally be quite dry and well fried off, coated in just enough sauce to allow the flavours of the fresh ingredients to come through.
Ingredients
Serves one barely full
A handful kway teow (I use ipoh kuay teow. They are thinning than normal kuay teow. Something like Fettucine vs Linguine)
1 big handful bean sprouts
small bunch chinese chives or scallions, cut into an inch length
1 Egg
3-4 prawns, peeled
¼ Chinese sausage, thinly sliced at an angle
1 teaspoon dried fine chili flakes per plate
2 tablespoon oil for frying
2 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce
½ teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon minced garlic
Pinch white pepper
Some water

Firstly, get all your mis en place prep. Make the sauce. 2:1 proportion of soy sauce: fish sauce with sugar and pepper.

Heat up the wok. Add oil. When oil is smoking hot, add some garlic, chili, sausage and prawns. Fry for about half a minute before the garlic burns.

The add the noodles (grab a handful). Add two tablespoon of sauce. Stir fry half a minute. Push noodles aside and break an egg in the space created. When the egg is half cooked, move the noodles onto it. From this point on, you turn the noodles rather than stir less vigorously as you do not want to break up the egg too much.

Add a big handful of bean sprouts. Add some chives. Splash some water. Half a minute more of stir-frying and its done. Plate, grab your chopsticks and dig in.

- till next post, ss. 

Labels: , , , , , ,