Quick breakfast recipe: Chinese macaroni soup noodles, with a twist
- Ditch the usual hot dog and Spam toppings in place of pork tenderloin and Taiwanese sausage in this Hong Kong favourite
I love Chinese breakfasts of macaroni soup noodles, served at inexpensive restaurants. The dish comes with various toppings, including a thin slice of ham (or a thicker slice of pan-fried canned luncheon meat, such as Spam) and a fried egg, in a monosodium glutamate-heavy broth.
My favourite version has thin slivers of pork cooked with zha choi (also known as zha cai), or Sichuan preserved mustard stem. I also like it with sausage and egg, but I make it with Taiwanese pork sausage instead of the hot dog served at most restaurants.
Hong Kong-style macaroni soup noodles with pork and preserved mustard stem
Most restaurants serve the noodles and toppings in a light broth flavoured with MSG. I use unsalted chicken broth, but because the pork and preserved vegetable are salty, it also works with water. Tell your guests to mix the toppings with the noodles and the water will have plenty of flavour.
300 grams boneless pork loin or tenderloin
10ml light soy sauce
10ml rice wine
½ tsp granulated sugar
1/8 tsp finely ground white pepper
½ tsp cornstarch
5ml sesame oil, plus extra for drizzling
Fine sea salt
120 grams zha choi
250 grams small macaroni
1.2 litres unsalted chicken stock (preferably home-made) or water
4 eggs
Cooking oil, as necessary
1-2 spring onions
1 Cut the pork across the grain into thin strips and place in a bowl. Add the soy sauce, rice wine, sugar, pepper, cornstarch, 5ml of sesame oil and 1/8 tsp of fine sea salt. Mix well, then set aside for a few minutes while preparing the other ingredients.
