1. South Sea Noodles
  2. Fluffy Asparagus Soup with Beef Slices


1. South Sea Noodles ()
    Materials:
    300 g (12 oz) rice noodles
    6 tablespoons vegetable oil
    2 medium onions, finely sliced
    4 rashers bacon, cut into matchstick strips
    2 tablespoons dried shrimps, soaked for 20 minutes, and drained
    1 tablespoon curry powder
    1/2 teaspoon salt
    100 ml (3 1/2 fl oz) chicken stock
    2 garlic cloves, crushed
    225 g (8 oz) uncooked prawns, peeled and deveined
    1 tablespoon soy sauce
    1 1/2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
    1 tablespoon dry sherry
    2 spring oinions, cut into 1 cm (1/2 inch) pieces
    2 tablespoons chopped parsley


    Preparation time: 20 minutes
    Cooking time: 10 minutes

1. Blanch the noodles in boiling water for 2 minutes, refresh under cold running water and drain.

2. Heat 4 tablespoons of the oil in a wok until smoking, and add the onion, bacon and dried shrimps. Stir-fry for 1 minute, then add the curry powder and salt and fry for another minute. Pour on the stock and bring to the boil then add the noodles. Toss with the sauce. Transfer to a heated serving dish.

3. Re-heat the wok and add the remaining oil. When the oil is hot, add the garlic and prawns. Stir-fry for 1 minute, then add the soy sauce, hoisin sauce and sherry. Pour the sauce onto the noodles, sprinkle on the spring onions and parsley and serve immediately.

  
2. Fluffy Asparagus Soup with Beef Slices ()
    Materials:
    1 x 75 g (3 oz) can asparagus, drained and liquid reserved
    1 litre (1 3/4 pints) chicken stock
    1 1/2 tablespoons Chinese wine or dry sherry
    2 teaspoons salt
    1 teaspoon MSG
    3 teaspoons cornflour
    3 teaspoons water
    75 g (3 oz) fillet steak, cut into thin slices
    pinch of freshly ground white pepper
    2 egg whites


    Preparation time: 10 minutes
    Cooking time: 7 minutes

1. Cut the asparagus stalks into 2.5 cm (1 inch) sections.

2. Heat the stock, 1 tablespoon the MSG in a large pan. Add the reserved liquid from the asparagus and bring to the boil.

3. Blend together 2 tablespoons of the cornflour with the water and stir into the soup to thicken it.

4. Mix together the remaining wine, salt, cornflour and white pepper and coat the beef slices with this mixtures. Add the beef slices and asparagus pieces to the soup. bring back to the boil, then pour on the egg whites in a thin stream. Serve immediately.


<>   Xiaoniu SuChu Hsu (¤p¤û) 1998    suchu@techart.nia.edu.tw