Sapa sui Samoan-style chop suey

A staple Islander dish, this Samoan-style chop suey is a simple, affordable and speedy dish. It's a special favourite recipe of chef Will Houia’s from childhood that still makes its way to his dining table to this day.

Credit: Jiwon Kim

• serves

  4

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  25 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

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Ingredients

• 1 large packet rice vermicelli noodles
• 3 tbsp peanut oil
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 30 g finely chopped ginger
• 500 g pork loin steaks, thinly sliced
• 2 cups (500 ml) water
• ¼ cup (60 ml) soy sauce
• 50 g coriander, roughly chopped
• 1 spring onion, thinly sliced
• 1 red capsicum, finely chopped
• 4 fried eggs, to serve

Instructions

1. Place vermicelli noodles in a large heatproof bowl and cover with hot water to soften and set aside.
2. Heat 2 tbsp peanut oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, until softened. Add the remaining peanut oil and the thinly sliced pork. Cook, tossing, until the meat is cooked through.
3. Once the meat is cooked, add 1 cup (250 ml) water to the pan and the soy sauce. Cook for 5-6 minutes. Drain the soaked noodles, then snip the vermicelli with kitchen scissors to create shorter noodles. Add the vermicelli gradually to the pan, stirring well after each addition to prevent the noodles from sticking to the base of the pan.
4. Once all the noodles have been added, add another 1 cup (250 ml) water to the pan and stir until the liquid absorbs – it should look wet, but not be soupy. Cover, and cook for a further 5-6 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
5. Divide the sapa sui between bowls and top with coriander, spring onion, red capsicum and fried eggs.

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Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

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