Tainan Slack Season Noodles

Before you start

• Peel and devein the shrimp, reserving the meat in the fridge and patting the shells completely dry with paper towels.

  Do not throw those shells away—they are the backbone of your broth. Drying them thoroughly ensures they roast rather than steam when they hit the hot oil, which is grandma's secret to a sweet, never-fishy soup.

Ingredients

• med shell-on white shrimp1 lb
• ground pork1 lb
• crispy fried shallots1 cup
• garlic cloves6 small
• soy sauce1/3 cup
• rock sugar1 tbsp
• warm water1 1/2 cup
• hard-boiled eggs4 large
• neutral cooking oil1 tbsp
• shallot1 small
• low-sodium chicken stock4 cup
• kosher salt1/2 tsp
• white pepper1/4 tsp
• fresh yellow alkaline oil noodles1 lb
• mung bean sprouts2 cup
• Chinese chives1 small bunch
• Taiwanese black vinegar2 tbsp
• fresh cilantro1/2 cup

Method

1. 01

   Brown the ground pork in a dry wok over medium-high heat until the fat renders and the edges crisp.

   Break the meat apart aggressively. Once the water evaporates and the pork sizzles in its own fat, push it to the side, drop the 2 minced garlic cloves into the clear fat, and fry for 30 seconds until fragrant.

2. 02

   Deglaze the wok with soy sauce and rock sugar, then simmer with fried shallots, water, and eggs for 30 minutes.

   Let the soy sauce hit the hot metal directly to caramelize before stirring in the crispy shallots and warm water. Nestle the peeled eggs into the liquid, bring to a boil, then cover and drop the heat to low until the rouzao reduces into a dark, savory, jammy gravy.

3. 03

   Roast the dried shrimp shells in a soup pot with oil over medium heat until bright orange and intensely fragrant.

   While the pork simmers, heat the oil and press the shells flat against the bottom of the pot with a spatula for 3 to 5 minutes to coax out every drop of sweet, toasted crustacean flavor. Toss in the minced shallot for the final minute.

4. 04

   Simmer the shells in chicken stock for 15 minutes, then strain and season with salt and white pepper.

   Pour the stock over the hot shells, bring to a gentle boil, and lower the heat. Pour through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean pot, pressing hard on the shells to extract the red shrimp oil before discarding them. Keep the broth hot.

5. 05

   Poach the shrimp meat and blanch the vegetables in a separate pot of boiling water.

   Drop the reserved shrimp into rolling boiling water for 60 to 90 seconds just until pink and opaque, then rescue them with a slotted spoon. Use a mesh strainer to dunk the bean sprouts and chives into the same water for 15 seconds until barely wilted.

6. 06

   Boil the fresh yellow noodles in the same water for 30 to 45 seconds, then drain thoroughly.

   Taiwanese oil noodles are already pre-cooked; they only need a quick dip to heat through and shed their excess surface oil. Never cook the noodles directly in your shrimp broth, or you will cloud the soup and ruin the texture.

7. 07

   Assemble the bowls with noodles, greens, raw garlic paste, and black vinegar before ladling in the hot broth and braised pork.

   Divide the noodles, sprouts, and chives among four bowls. Crown each with a generous half-teaspoon of grated raw garlic and a splash of black vinegar directly on the noodles, ladle the clear shrimp broth around them, and spoon the rich pork sauce, a braised egg, cooked shrimp, and cilantro right on top.

Notes

• Do not put five-spice powder or star anise in the pork.

  Unlike Lu Rou Fan (braised pork rice), authentic Tainan noodle stand pork relies strictly on shallots and soy sauce so the meat doesn't overpower the delicate shrimp broth.

• Stir the bowl thoroughly before taking your first bite.

  The magic happens when the sharp raw garlic, malty black vinegar, rendered pork fat, and sweet shrimp broth emulsify together in the bowl.

• Leftover rouzao is kitchen gold.

  This recipe makes enough braised pork for a generous dinner plus leftovers; spoon the extra sauce and eggs over steamed white rice or blanched greens the next day.