Singapore Old-School Prawn and Pork Rib Noodle Soup

Steps

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1. 1
   Place pork soft bones in a pot of cold water without heat. Bring to a boil over medium heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Blanching removes impurities and produces a clearer broth.
   ▶ ≈0:53
2. 2
   Remove the cooked ribs, rinse them clean, drain well, and set aside.
   ▶ ≈1:45
3. 3
   In a clean dry pan over medium-low heat, toast 35g dried shrimp and 10g white peppercorns for 4–5 minutes until fragrant and peppercorns begin to pop. Dry-roasting intensifies aroma and flavour.
   ▶ ≈1:51
4. 4
   Transfer the toasted shrimp and peppercorns into a mesh infuser or strainer container so they can release flavour into the broth without scattering.
   ▶ ≈3:19
5. 5
   Boil 2.5L water and add 500g peeled, deveined prawns. Cook for 2–3 minutes until done. Immediately transfer to ice water to stop cooking and keep them crispy and juicy.
   ▶ ≈3:40
6. 6
   In the same pot of water, add the toasted shrimp and peppercorn infuser, the blanched ribs, 2 whole garlic bulbs, and 1 chicken stock cube. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer over low heat for 1 hour.
   ▶ ≈4:21
7. 7
   In a separate pan over medium-low heat with a little oil, fry the prawn heads and shells for 5–10 minutes until they turn red and crisp slightly to remove the fishy taste.
   ▶ ≈4:55
8. 8
   Add 2–3 scoops of hot broth to the pan with the fried prawn heads, gently press them with a spatula to extract all flavour, then pour the entire mixture back into the main soup pot. Cover and continue simmering on low heat.
   ▶ ≈6:16
9. 9
   In a clean pan over medium-low heat with a little oil, melt and caramelize 25g rock sugar to a deep golden-brown (do not burn). Once foaming and dark brown, carefully pour in hot broth from a safe distance. This gives the soup its signature dark colour.
   ▶ ≈7:00
10. 10
    Pour the caramelized sugar mixture into the main soup pot and stir gently. Continue simmering on low heat.
    ▶ ≈8:27
11. 11
    Add 300g pork lard pieces and 1/3 tsp salt to the pan (no extra oil needed—fat will render naturally). Fry over medium heat until light golden, then add 10 thinly sliced shallots. Cook together until shallots turn light brown, about 4–5 minutes total. Do not brown too dark as residual heat will darken them further.
    ▶ ≈8:49
12. 12
    Strain the oil from the crispy lard and shallots using a fine strainer. Reserve the flavoured lard oil for drizzling.
    ▶ ≈11:45
13. 13
    After 1 hour of simmering, carefully remove the pork ribs. They should be very tender at this point.
    ▶ ≈11:52
14. 14
    Return the peppercorn and shrimp infuser to the soup, cover, and continue simmering on low heat for another 30 minutes.
    ▶ ≈12:21
15. 15
    After 30 minutes, taste the broth and adjust seasoning. Start with 2 tsp salt and add up to 1 more tsp to taste.
    ▶ ≈12:44
16. 16
    In boiling water, cook the yellow noodles (about 120g per person) and a handful of water spinach until just heated through, less than 1 minute.
    ▶ ≈13:24
17. 17
    Place cooked noodles and water spinach in a bowl. Top with sliced fish cakes, a few prawns, several rib pieces, and some crispy lard and shallots. Drizzle with a little of the reserved lard-shallot oil, then ladle hot broth over everything.
    ▶ ≈14:09