Char Kway Teow

Name: Char Kway Teow
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Asian
Ingredients: 500g vongole, purged; 2 tablespoons water; 350g block rice noodles; 1 tablespoon soy sauce; 1 tablespoon oyster sauce; 1 tablespoon dark sweet soy sauce; 2 tablespoons vegetable oil; 40g bean sprouts, tailed; 1/2 bunch garlic chives, trimmed and cut into 4cm lengths; 1 teaspoon sesame seeds

Classic char kway teow most often includes lup cheong (Chinese sausage), but I make a delicious pescatarian char kway teow without it. If you’re cooking for omnivores, you can fry a few slices in the oil then remove it before adding the noodles and return it to the wok with the bean sprouts. You can also add some chopped green prawns to this pescatarian version with (or instead of) the clams. Regardless of the protein added, I love a glass of Angus Vinden’s old-vine Somerset Vineyard semillon with char kway teow – it has great texture from extended lees contact and a nice lick of citrus acidity to balance the umami richness of the sauce. Use leftover bean sprouts and garlic chives to make stir-fried bean sprouts & garlic chives or a delicious mushroom stir-fry (see video below).

Serves 2

Ingredients

500g vongole, purged (1lb 2oz)
2 tablespoons water (40ml)
350g block rice noodles (12½oz)
1 tablespoon soy sauce (20ml)
1 tablespoon oyster sauce (20ml)
1 tablespoon dark sweet soy sauce (20ml)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (40ml)
40g bean sprouts, tailed (1½oz)
½ bunch garlic chives, trimmed
and cut into 4cm/1 ½″ lengths
1 teaspoon sesame seeds

Method

Rinse vongole to remove any sand or grit.
Place clams and water in a wok or frying pan, cover and bring to the boil.
Cook for a few minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, until the shells start to open.
As each shell opens, remove it to a bowl (if cooking clams from frozen, leave them in the pan for 30–60 seconds after they open before removing).
Cut rice noodle into 1cm-wide (½″) strips and place in a large bowl.
Cover with boiling water and set aside for about 3 minutes to loosen.
Meanwhile, combine soy sauce, oyster sauce and dark sweet soy sauce and set aside.
Drain noodles, pull apart into thin strips and set aside.
Heat a wok or large, high-sided frying pan over high heat until very hot.
Add oil and, when hot, add noodles to the wok and toss for 30 seconds or so. If your wok isn’t very hot, it’s best to toss less, allowing the noodles to heat on one side, then turning them to heat another side rather than constantly tossing as you do with a very hot work.
Add soy sauce mixture and toss until noodles are well coated.
Return vongole to the wok, add bean sprouts and garlic chives and toss to combine well.
Serve char kway teow sprinkled with sesame seeds.