Prawn Kway Teow Soup

Ingredients
1kg medium sea prawns
1½ tsp Cajun pepper
1 tsp sugar
1½ tsps salt
4 Tbsps oil
1 thumb-size ginger (sliced)
2 large onions (sliced)
250g ikan bilis or anchovies (wash with water & pat dry)
3 litres hot water
2 pieces chicken breast with bones (washed with water)
2½ Tbsps soy sauce
1 tsp chopped garlic
250g Chinese chives (blanched in boiling water and cut into 2cm lengths)
250g Ipoh bean sprouts (blanched in boiling water)
500g Ipoh kway teow (wash it with hot water quickly before serving)
1 packet parang fish balls
2 Tbsps chopped spring onions
2 Tbsps fried shallots
1 Tbsp sliced cili padi

Method

• Clean and wash the prawns thoroughly and then shell them. Keep the shells for stock. Devein the prawns and rinse them with water. Pat dry with kitchen paper.
• Marinate the prawns with half a teaspoon each of Cajun pepper, sugar and salt, put aside.
• In a pan, heat three tablespoons of oil over high heat, add half of the sliced ginger and the prawn shells, stir-fry for three minutes. Add a teaspoon of Cajun pepper and continue to stir-fry over medium heat till the prawn shells turn red and slightly brown. Scoop out.
• Heat the wok with a tablespoon of oil, add the sliced onions and the rest of the sliced ginger and ikan bilis. Stir fry for three to five minutes till slightly brown, add the hot water and bring to boil over medium heat.
• Let it boil for five minutes, add the chicken breasts and continue to boil for 15 minutes. Take out the chicken breast. Strip the meat and set aside.
• Add the prawn shells to the soup mixture and continue to simmer 15 minutes. Pour the soup into another pot, add a teaspoon salt, two tablespoons soy sauce and half a teaspoon of sugar (optional). Cook the fish balls in the soup till they all float to the top. Dish them out.
• Heat two tablespoons of oil in a wok, add the marinated prawns and stir-fry over high heat for two minutes. Add the chopped garlic, stir fry for a further three minutes. Turn off the fire and add half a tablespoon of soy sauce, dish out and put aside.
• When serving, put bean sprouts at the bottom of bowl before the kway teow, add the soup to cover the noodles. Top with prawns, chicken strips, fish balls, Chinese chives, fried shallots and chopped spring onions. Serve with cili padi in soy sauce.