Pan Mee (Hand-Pulled Noodles)

Ingredients

• 2 cups All-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup Water
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 lb Ground pork
• 1/2 cup Dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked and sliced
• 1/4 cup Wood ear fungus, soaked and sliced
• 2 cups Spinach or choy sum
• 1/4 cup Anchovies
• 1/4 cup Shallots, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons Soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon Oyster sauce
• 6 cups Chicken broth
• 1/4 teaspoon White pepper
• 2 tablespoons Vegetable oil

Instructions

1. 1In a large bowl, combine the 2 cups of all-purpose flour and the 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Gradually add the 3/4 cup of water while mixing, then knead the mixture for 5-7 minutes until a smooth, elastic dough forms. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and let the dough rest at room temperature for 30 minutes to relax the gluten.
2. 2Lightly flour a clean work surface. Take the rested dough and either roll it out very thinly, about 1/16-inch thick, and cut into long, thin strands with a knife, or for hand-pulled noodles, stretch and pull small pieces of dough into thin strands directly over a pot of boiling water.
3. 3Heat the 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering, about 350°F (175°C). Add the 1/4 cup of anchovies and fry for 2-3 minutes until golden brown and crispy. Remove the anchovies with a slotted spoon and set them aside on a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
4. 4In the same 10-inch skillet, add the 1/4 cup of thinly sliced shallots to the remaining oil over medium heat. Fry for 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the shallots are golden brown and crispy. Remove the shallots with a slotted spoon and set them aside on the plate with the anchovies.
5. 5In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add the 1/2 lb of ground pork. Cook, breaking it up with a spoon, for 5-7 minutes until it is browned and no longer pink. Add the 1/2 cup of soaked and sliced dried shiitake mushrooms and the 1/4 cup of soaked and sliced wood ear fungus to the pot. Stir-fry with the pork for another 2-3 minutes until the mushrooms are tender.
6. 6Stir in the 2 tablespoons of soy sauce and the 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce into the pork and mushroom mixture. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, until everything is well combined and fragrant.
7. 7Pour the 6 cups of chicken broth into the pot with the pork mixture. Bring the broth to a rolling boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low and let it simmer gently for 10 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. Stir in the 1/4 teaspoon of white pepper.
8. 8While the broth simmers, cook the noodles. If you cut them, add the noodle strands to a separate large pot of boiling water and cook for 2-4 minutes, or until they float and are tender. If you hand-pulled them, they should have been cooked directly in boiling water. Drain the cooked noodles well.
9. 9To assemble, divide the cooked noodles among 4 serving bowls. Add about 1/2 cup of the spinach or choy sum to each bowl, allowing the hot broth to wilt it slightly. Spoon the pork and mushroom mixture over the noodles.
10. 10Carefully ladle the hot chicken broth over the noodles and toppings in each bowl. Garnish generously with the reserved crispy anchovies and fried shallots. Serve immediately.

Substitutions

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