Hong Kong style noodles. Recipes requested.

August 23, 2009 10:20 PM

Hong Kong style shrimp noodles and what to do with them? Give me your recipes please.

We are lucky to have wonderful Asian markets in my semi-rural area. Sometimes, when we're shopping at them, we'll find items that look and sound great. Most often, I can google the item plus the word "recipe" and figure out what to do with it.

So, now, I have two large bags of Hong Kong style noodles, one is shrimp and the other is scallop. They are in little bundles within the bag, kind of like how mung bean noodles are packaged, but these area clearly wheat noodles. There are only the most rudimentary English instructions on the bags.

I only found a few recipes when I searched. A couple of lo mein type meals, a couple about frying them until crispy in places (boiled first or dry? they didn't say!) and a soup that also includes wontons.

I'm probably overthinking a bag of noodles, but I want to make something good and not have to toss it out and call for pizza. If it helps, I learned how to make pad woon sen, and my kids like it a lot. We are adventurous eaters here.

Please help out a woman that loves a good food experiment. Thanks.

posted by lilywing13 to food & drink (7 comments total)

What do you mean one is shrimp and the other scallop? Do they come with little flavor packets? If they do, then cook the noodles till al dente (all noodles are very similar in cooking method) in enough water to cover the noodles and a little more, and add in the flavor packets. You can also poach an egg in the soup.

If they don't have flavor packets, then once again cook the noodles till al dente. Rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process and set aside. Next make a soup. Add whatever vegetables (bok-choy leaves, spinach, broccoli, mushrooms etc.) you have in hand to whatever broth you have on hand (or water). You can also add in a few slices of cooked pork, beef or chicken, or some sauted shrimp. When done, put noodle in, and done!

Or even if they do have flavor packets, don't let that stop you from adding things to it.

Good luck!
posted by state fxn at 1:56 AM on August 24

It sounds like these would be perfect for Penang Hokkien Mee. This dish is delicious. I cannot vouch for this particular recipe, as I have never made it myself but instead enjoyed my mother's version, or restaurant versions, but if you don't like it you could google for alternatives. The dish is also known as Prawn Mee or Prawn Noodles (mee means noodles).

There's also a dish called just Hokkien Mee (this is a KL-style recipe--the way they make it in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia), but I personally prefer Penang Hokkien Mee (it's soupier).

Good luck and bon appetit!
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 2:05 AM on August 24

Wait, do you mean Hong Kong style pan frying noodles?
posted by Comrade_robot at 5:11 AM on August 24

Here's a picture of a package the shrimp noodles. I know it's small. I did find this, which appears to be the same product with eggs shown rather than the seafood.

Comrade_robot, I don't know.

The basic instructions on the back seem to indicate they are more for soup or "with sauce." There aren't any flavor packets.
posted by lilywing13 at 2:32 PM on August 24

My best guess is that there's shrimp paste or some other flavoring ingredient in the noodle dough - sort of analgous to spinach or tomato-flavored pasta. I wouldn't necessarily expect them to taste specifically like shrimp and scallops, respectively - more of a vague fishy flavor. I'd boil them, then stir-fry with ginger, garlic, and vegetables (asparagus and mushrooms would be nice!) and finish with soy, oyster sauce, and sugar (and arrowroot or cornstarch if you like that glossy coating quality to the sauce). Add actual real seafood if you're so inclined.

Or! I'd boil them, and them eat them in a spicy broth with veggies and seafood - make a broth with bonito or Korean dried anchovies (or use a packet), add red pepper, scallions, veggies, cooked noodles. Crack an egg in if you like. You might check out recipes for Korean kalguksu - the flavors would work well.
posted by peachfuzz at 9:27 AM on September 9

Hey, sorry I didn't get back on this sooner,

I don't, for the record, believe that Hong Kong Style Egg noodles are egg flavored or even fish flavored. The kind I get aren't dried, but if they're the same thing, you can either put it in a soup with, for example, fish balls, and some veggies, or you can soak them in water, boil them until they're soft, then pan fry the noodle bundle crispy. Then you serve a stir fry over it, and it gets all nice and soaky and delicious. Traditionally, you do a seafood stir fry over it, hence the Hong Kong seafood noodles.
posted by Comrade_robot at 9:45 AM on September 9

Thanks y'all!
posted by lilywing13 at 2:03 PM on September 9