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How to cook Lor mee

Lor mee is a Singapore hawker noodle dish of thick yellow noodles in a dark, glossy, starchy braise with pork, egg and fish cake, finished with a sharp vinegar-garlic dressing and a spoonful of chilli. This home version builds the braising gravy from pork belly and its own stock, with deep-fried fish pieces and a topping of crisp garnishes.

Ingredients

For the braised pork and stock

• 500 g pork belly, skin-on, in one piece
• 200 g pork ribs or pork bones, cut small
• 2.5 litres water
• 5 slices ginger
• 4 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 star anise
• 1 small stick (about 5 cm) cinnamon
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt, or to taste
• 4 eggs (for braising)

For the gravy (lor)

• 3 tbsp cooking oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp ground bean sauce (taucheo), mashed
• 1 litre braising stock (from above)
• 2 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 5 tbsp tapioca or potato starch
• 150 ml cold water, to mix with the starch
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/4 tsp white pepper
• 1 tsp sesame oil

For the noodles and toppings

• 600 g fresh thick yellow noodles (lor mee noodles or thick Hokkien-style)
• 200 g fish cake, sliced
• 250 g firm white fish fillet (e.g. batang or ikan kuning), cut into pieces
• 3 tbsp plain flour (for coating fish)
• 500 ml cooking oil for deep-frying
• 100 g bean sprouts, blanched
• 1 small bunch coriander, chopped
• 3 tbsp fried shallots

For the garlic-vinegar dressing and chilli

• 6 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 5 tbsp black vinegar or Chinese rice vinegar
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 tbsp sambal chilli, or chilli paste with a little lime juice

Steps

1. Blanch the pork8 min
   Place the pork belly and ribs in a pot, cover with cold water and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil 5 minutes until grey scum rises, then drain and rinse the meat under running water.
2. Set up the braise5 min
   Return the meat to a clean pot with 2.5 litres water, the ginger, smashed garlic, star anise, cinnamon, light soy sauce, 1 tbsp dark soy sauce, sugar and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low.
3. Simmer the pork1 hr
   Cover partly and simmer on low heat for 60 minutes, until the pork belly yields easily to a chopstick and the stock is dark and fragrant. Skim any foam as needed.
4. Cook the braising eggs15 min
   While the pork simmers, boil the 4 eggs in a separate pot for 9 minutes, cool in cold water and peel. Add them to the braise for the last 15 minutes so they take on colour.
5. Prepare the dressing2 min
   Mix the minced garlic, vinegar and sugar in a small bowl and let it sit while you work so the garlic mellows slightly. Keep the sambal separate.
6. Fry the fish8 min
   Pat the fish dry and toss in the plain flour. Heat the 500 ml oil in a wok over medium-high heat to about 170°C (a pinch of flour sizzles at once). Fry the fish 3 to 4 minutes until golden and cooked through, then drain on paper towels.
7. Lift out the pork and strain12 min
   Remove the pork belly and eggs to a plate. Strain the stock and measure out 1 litre for the gravy, keeping the rest warm for loosening later. Slice the pork thickly once it has rested 10 minutes.
8. Build the gravy base2 min
   Heat 3 tbsp oil in a pot over medium heat. Fry the minced garlic 30 seconds until fragrant but not browned, add the mashed bean sauce and stir 1 minute.
9. Add stock and seasoning5 min
   Pour in 1 litre of the strained stock, then add the oyster sauce, 1 tbsp dark soy sauce and white pepper. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat.
10. Thicken the gravy4 min
    Mix the starch with 150 ml cold water until smooth. Stir the pot constantly while pouring the starch slurry in a steady stream. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, still stirring, until thick, glossy and coating the back of a spoon.
11. Add the egg ribbons2 min
    Reduce heat to low. Pour the 2 beaten eggs slowly in a thin stream while stirring in one direction so they form fine strands. Stir in the sesame oil and turn off the heat.
12. Blanch noodles and toppings4 min
    Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil. Loosen the noodles, blanch 1 to 2 minutes until hot and springy, then drain well. Blanch the fish cake slices 30 seconds and the bean sprouts 15 seconds.
13. Assemble the bowls4 min
    Divide the noodles among 4 bowls. Ladle a generous amount of hot gravy over each so the noodles are well coated. Top with sliced pork, a halved braised egg, fish cake, fried fish and bean sprouts.
14. Finish and serve2 min
    Spoon over the garlic-vinegar dressing and a little sambal, then scatter coriander and fried shallots. Serve immediately while the gravy is hot, and let each person stir it through before eating.

Tips

• Keep the gravy hot and loosen it with a splash of the reserved stock if it thickens too much while waiting.
• Use a firm white fish that holds its shape when fried; pat it very dry so the coating crisps rather than turning soggy.
• Add the garlic-vinegar dressing at the table so it stays sharp; adjust the vinegar to taste.
• If the gravy turns lumpy, whisk it off the heat or strain through a sieve; always stir the starch slurry again just before pouring.
• For a richer gravy, simmer the stock a further 15 minutes uncovered to concentrate it before thickening.

Food safety and allergens

Cook the pork until very tender and the fried fish until opaque and flaking all the way through. Cool leftover gravy and meat quickly, refrigerate within 2 hours, keep up to 2 days, and reheat until piping hot before serving.

Contains: egg, fish, sesame, shellfish, soy, wheat

Watch it being made

• Hokkien Lor Mee Recipe - 卤面The Meatmen Channel · 289,969 views · YouTube
• Singapore Lor Mee Recipe 新加坡卤面Spice N' Pans · 137,667 views · YouTube
• Lor Mee/Braised Noodles (Hokkien-Styled)Flavours Of Asia · 86,133 views · YouTube

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