Thursday, September 30, 2010

Tean's Gourmet Crispy Prawn Chilli


I blame Celeste.  I was noodling along, quite happy with my cock sauce (aka Sriracha), when I read her delicious recipe for her mum's Mamak-style noodles.  At the end she had a picture of an interesting jar, under which she mentioned, quite glibly - "Serve with a side of sambal if wanted."  I filed the name on the jar - Tean's Gourmet Crispy Prawn Chilli - somewhere in my brain and told myself I should buy it next time I saw it.  I promptly forgot and months went past.  One day I happened upon it in D&K in Footscray, remembered, and bought it.


Crispy Prawn Chilli, where have you been my whole life?  Tiny, crunchy nuggets of fried garlic, chilli pieces, and pleasantly, just ever-so-slightly pongy prawns, bound together by radioactive red oil.  Oh, garlicky, spicy, crunchy seafood heaven!

I want to share my recipe (if you can even call it that) for fried noodles that is quick, easy, kid-friendly, but also delicious for adults, on its own or with a big turbo-charged spoonful of Crispy Prawn Chilli love on the side.


You need some noodles, either fresh or dried.  If using dried, they should be egg noodles.  Cook til al dente and drain.  If fresh, soak in boiling water for a minute before rinsing very well to get rid of the soapy taste from the alkaline water used to make them (see here).

 
Finely chop garlic and chop up whatever vegetables you have.  If you do not have children snapping at your heels, I recommend finely julienning the vegies.  Soak some Chinese mushrooms in boiling water for 20-30 minutes, cut off the stems, and slice them up too.  I recently learned the best are the ones with pale tops, crisscrossed with darker brown (i.e. not the ones I have in this photo!)


Heat a wok or frying pan to very hot before adding a generous amount of oil.  Allow to heat and throw in chopped garlic.  Add vegies.  Fry for 3-4 minutes.  Add noodles.


Add a couple of shakes each of light soy sauce and fish sauce as well as about 1/2 a tablespoon of white sugar.  Toss, toss, and toss for a few more minutes until noodles are nicely coated with sauce, vegies are cooked, and everything tastes yummy.


Anoint with a big dollop of crispy prawn crack before inhaling.  Oh, so good.

Now, having tasted this forbidden fruit, innocent dishes such as potato & leek soup or cauliflower cheese seem pale and benign in comparison.  While the rest of the family is content with cracked pepper, I find myself hunched over the kitchen bench, surreptitiously stirring spoonfuls of Crispy Prawn Chilli into my dinner.  Baked beans, spaghetti bolognese, pumpkin soup - this superb sambal complements them all!


Incidentally, the laksa paste which comes in a pouch and is also made by Tean's Gourmet is divine (though you must use chicken stock to make it up, not water as the back indicates).  I have not tried adding the sambal to Tean's laksa yet, as I fear my head will explode.

Now, if you will excuse me, I am off to indulge in my latest guilty snack - cheese and Crispy Prawn Chilli on toast.

12 comments:

  1. OMG I haven't seen D&K yet! I love the fact that they have the Vina-style balconies above the shopfront - I thought you'd taken that photo in Viet Nam for a second there!

    Thank you for your wonderful housewarming hamper by the way. I haven't had a chance to use any of the goodies yet, but I'll be tucking into it soon!

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  2. OMG YOU FOUND IT HERE IN MELB! WHERE! I must go get more. I'm running out. It's amazinggggggg.

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  3. Oh never mind. I got so excited I didn't notice the link. I shall have to wander up there. *__*

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  4. Billy, how cool! Oh, I wish I had taken it in Vietnam. One day...

    I put some Crispy Prawn Chilli in the hamper - hope you like it!

    Celeste - yes!!! I also found it at Tan Quang, which is in Hopkins St Footscray, next to the NAB. It has a different label there though?! Next time I see you, I will bring you a jar - perhaps at the Mad Hatter's picnic?

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  5. The Crispy Prawn Chilli sounds pretty amazing, it sounds similar to XO. Like the noodle dish, dried shitakes are one of my favourite ingredients to use.

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  6. i thought I was the only one who mixed baked beans and chilli paste . When I was growing up it was vegemite and mashed potato!

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  7. Another comment I found in HK was to floss dried prawns ( redder the fresher in those packets) in a electric coffee or spice grinder and use as "parmasen" cheese type topping sprinkled on noodle with olive oil and garlic and chili

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  8. Aw, I won't be able to make the Mad Hatter picnic after all =(
    But I'm sure we will run into each other again sometime soon! Come for the Pho Dinner on Thursday! (7th Oct , we are going to Chu The Pho)

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  9. Oh! Must check it out and also get the curry laksa paste...

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  10. Deb, I think it is a bit like XO, but designed for adding after when XO is for adding during cooking? I see an XO post coming up!

    Dad (mike reed), it's all about the UMAMI! I totally have to try that prawn floss idea; you did tell me about it before. I reckon it would be like a sprinkle of chicken salt... mmm...

    Celeste, thanks! I would love to! I will DM or email you.

    Penny, the laksa paste is SOOO GOOOD IMHO. I was totally happy with Valcom in a jar from the supermarket but now I have had this one, there is no going back. So spicy and yummy!

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  11. Aah Crispy Prawn Chilli!!! We inhale the stuff over here at Chez Temasek! (but I do believe this is not entirely msg free). Have you ever tried this in a sandwhich with cucumber? Give it a go! And don't forget, slabs of butter!

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  12. I thought my brother and I were the only ones who (childishly) called Rooster Brand sriracha, cock sauce. :D

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