Rice noodles with coral trout

Ingredients

• 375 g dried rice vermicelli
• 1 litre hot homemade chicken stock (see Note)
• 200 g coral trout fillet, cut into 1 cm–thick slices
• 1 bunch Chinese celery, cut into batons, including the leaves
• 3 spring onions, cut into 1-cm lengths
• 3 stems coriander, cut into 1-cm lengths
• ground chilli, to taste

Fried garlic and shallots

• 1 kg pork back fat, rendered (see Note)
• 2 heads garlic, peeled and minced
• 6 red Asian shallots, thinly sliced

Seasonings, to taste

• fish sauce
• oyster sauce
• umezu (plum vinegar)
• best-quality sesame oil
• white pepper

Instructions

1. For the fried garlic and shallots, divide the rendered fat between 2 saucepans. Add the garlic to one pan and the shallots to the other and cook over low–medium heat, stirring regularly until golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel. Stand until cool, then store in an airtight container.
2. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Place the noodles in a Chinese noodle strainer and cook until al dente. Lift the noodle basket out and drain the noodles well. Place in a large bowl and toss with the seasonings and a little of the reserved back fat to taste.
3. Add the trout to the same pot of boiling water you used to cook the noodles, reduce the heat to low-medium and simmer very gently until cooked to your liking. Drain and set aside.
4. To serve, place the noodles and trout in soup bowls and top with a handful of Chinese celery, spring onion and coriander. Ladle over the stock. Serve immediately scattered with a little ground chilli and the fried garlic and shallots.

Note

• I like to season the stock with coriander root, sliced daikon, sliced onion, garlic and ginger but you can use any aromats you have on hand.

• Reserve the crispy pieces of pork fat from rendering to garnish your noodles.

Photography by Danielle Abou Karam.

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