Xiamen Chow Mei Fun Rice Noodles

In many Chinese restaurants and during weekend dim sum brunches, you can get a delicacy called Xiamen Chow mei fun, a wonderful rice noodle dish.

This dish is just as tasty as the more well-known Singapore Noodles with curry, although it needs the dish’s name recognition. These rice noodles are among my very favorites when it comes to Chinese noodles.

The city the dish hails from is in southern China’s Fujian province, where spicy foods are less popular, hence the name. I’m embarrassed that I’ve learned everything to know about Xiamen by now.

In addition, “Xiamen” is the Mandarin pronunciation of the city’s name. At the same time, “mei fun,” also spelled “mai fun,” is a Cantonese word for rice noodles.

Is it too late to restore my reputation?

I’m going to assume that your answer was “no,” because if I knew anything about chow mei fun or rice noodle dishes, it would be this one.

Throw in some chili oil if you prefer things spicy. Can you imagine anything better?

Ingredients:

• oil
• 2 eggs
• 6-8 pcs. of medium-sized shrimp
• 4 oz. of Chinese roast pork (sliced thin)
• 1 medium-sized onion (thinly sliced)
• 1 clove of garlic (minced)
• 1 small julienned green or red bell pepper
• 4 oz. of Virginia or boiled ham (sliced thin)
• 10 oz. of rice noodles (soaked in warm water for 30 minutes to an hour)
• 1 tbsp. of Shaoxing wine
• 1/8 tsp. of sugar
• 1 tbsp. of oyster sauce
• 1 tsp. of soy sauce
• 1 tsp. of sesame oil
• 1 scallion (cut into 2 inch pieces)

Instructions:

1. To begin, heat a tablespoon of oil in a wok. The eggs should be scrambled and set aside. Increasing the heat to high, add more oil, and sear the shrimp until they are opaque and have developed a light crust.
2. Add another 2 tablespoons of oil to the pan and heat until it begins to smoke. Roast the pork and add it to the pan. Stir-fry for about 20 seconds. Stir-fry for an additional minute after adding the onion, garlic, and pepper. Even though the temperature has dropped, you must stir the mixture often. You need a good amount of heat to create that distinctive “wok hay” (or “breath of the wok”) flavor.
3. Cook for a further 30 seconds after adding the ham to the stir-fry. Throw in the pre-soaked noodles and mix everything up thoroughly. Stir-fry the noodles for 3–5 minutes, then add the eggs and shrimp.
4. Blend in sugar, oyster sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, and Shaoxing wine. Combine everything thoroughly. The wok is generally not hot enough if the noodles start to stick. Use a metal spatula to scrape the bottom of the wok, removing any food that may be burning.
5. Stir in the scallions last, and keep going until they’re as tender as you like them. When using them in this dish, I prefer them just warm. Put on some of the hot sauce you like best and serve!