Danzai Noodles

Ingredients

Shrimp broth

• 300 gwhole raw shrimp, heads on
• 1.5 litreswater
• 1onion, halved
• 2spring onions
• 3cm ginger, sliced

Pork topping

• 300 gminced pork, with some fat
• 3 tablespoonssoy sauce
• 1 tablespoondark soy sauce
• 1 tablespoonrock sugar
• 2 tablespoonsrice wine
• 4shallots, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoonfive spice
• 200 mlwater

To assemble

• 400 gthin oil noodles
• or thin wheat noodles
• 200 gbean sprouts
• 4whole cooked shrimp
• 4 tablespoonsfried shallot
• 2 tablespoonsminced garlic in water
• black vinegar
• chopped coriander

Sometimes added

• 1braised egg per bowl
• a little chilli sauce

Directions

1. Peel the shrimp and keep the heads and shells. Set the peeled shrimp aside for now. Heat a little oil in a wide pan. Add the heads and shells to it. Fry them hard for about five minutes. Press the heads with a spoon as they fry. The pan should smell strongly of shrimp.
2. Add the water to the fried shells. Add the onion, spring onions and ginger. Bring the whole pot to a simmer. Skim off any foam that rises up. Let it simmer gently for forty minutes. Never let it boil hard at any point. Pour it through a very fine sieve. Press the shells to release the liquid.
3. Discard the shells and aromatics. The broth should be pale orange and fragrant. Keep it hot for the assembly later. Poach the peeled shrimp in the broth briefly. Give them about ninety seconds. Lift them out and set them aside. Heat a little oil in a wide pan. Fry the chopped shallots until golden. Add the minced pork to the pan. Break it up and brown it thoroughly.
4. Add both soy sauces and the rice wine. Add the rock sugar and the five spice. Pour in all of the measured water. Bring the whole pan to a simmer. Let it braise for about forty minutes. It should reduce to a thick glossy mince. Stir it occasionally so it does not catch. It should be dark, sticky and intensely savoury.
5. Cook it longer if it is still loose. Preparing the garnishes takes a moment. Drain them and set them aside. Mince garlic finely and cover it with water.
6. Fry shallot slices until crisp if not bought. Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil. Add the noodles and cook them briefly. Oil noodles need only a minute or two. Taste one of them to check it. Drain them thoroughly afterwards. Put a small nest of noodles in each bowl.
7. Lay blanched bean sprouts over them. Ladle hot shrimp broth over the top. Use enough to come halfway up the noodles. The broth should moisten rather than submerge.
8. Spoon the pork topping over the noodles. Set one whole shrimp on the top. Finishing it off takes a moment. Add a spoonful of the garlic water. Add a few drops of black vinegar. Scatter fried shallot over the top. Add plenty of chopped coriander.
9. Add a braised egg if you want one. Serving it is done immediately while hot. Stir everything together before eating. The components keep three days separately. Assemble each bowl of it fresh.

Technique

• Hong Yu-Tou began selling these noodles from a shoulder pole in Tainan in eighteen ninety-five to get through the typhoon season when fishing was impossible.
• Danzai means the carrying pole, and the stall name du xiao yue means getting through the slack month.
• The portion is deliberately small, since the dish was a street snack rather than a meal, and people order two or three bowls.

Substitutions

• Any thin wheat noodle works in place of Taiwanese oil noodles.
• Prawns of any size can be used, and the heads and shells are what matter for the broth.

Variations

• A braised egg is added to the bowl in many shops.
• Some versions use more broth and some barely any.
• Ba wan and milkfish soup are the other great Tainan dishes.

History

Started in Tainan in 1895 by fisherman Hong Yu-Tou, who sold noodles from shoulder poles through the typhoon slack season that names the dish.

Frequently asked questions

What is Danzai Noodles?

Danzai Noodles is a soup & stew from Taiwan: tainan shrimp-broth noodles topped with minced pork and a single shrimp. Started in Tainan in 1895 by fisherman Hong Yu-Tou, who sold noodles from shoulder poles through the typhoon slack season that names the dish.

How long does Danzai Noodles take to make?

Danzai Noodles takes 40 minutes of preparation and 1 hour of cooking. The recipe makes serves 4. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Danzai Noodles?

Yes, within limits. Any thin wheat noodle works in place of Taiwanese oil noodles. Prawns of any size can be used, and the heads and shells are what matter for the broth.

What is the most important thing to get right in Danzai Noodles?

Add the water to the fried shells. Add the onion, spring onions and ginger. Bring the whole pot to a simmer. Skim off any foam that rises up. Let it simmer gently for forty minutes. Never let it boil hard at any point. Pour it through a very fine sieve. Press the shells to release the liquid.