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XO Pipis with Crispy Egg Noodles
Make this classic XO Pipis with homemade Crispy Egg Noodles recipe
- Steps
- Ingredients
Steps
- Half fill a medium saucepan with water and bring to the boil over high heat. Reduce to a simmer over low heat.
- For the Egg Noodles, combine flour and salt in a medium bowl. Make a well in the centre, add eggs and mix until dough comes together. Dust the bench with wheat starch and knead the dough for 3 minutes. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, for the XO Sauce, drain the scallops and shrimp from Shaoxing, reserving the liquid. Place scallops in a small bowl and steam in a steamer basket over a saucepan of simmering water for 15 minutes. Let the scallops cool before shredding them into fine strands and set aside.
- Meanwhile, pound the shrimp in a mortar and pestle to crush slightly. Halve the chillies and remove the seeds. Roughly chop chilli, garlic and ginger. Keep any peels and off cuts for the Aromatic Stock. Remove the skin of the speck. Finely dice the speck and save the off cuts for the Aromatic Stock.
- For the XO Sauce, heat canola oil in a wok over low heat. Add chilli, garlic, ginger, speck, black beans and crushed shrimp and fry.
- Meanwhile, shred the scallops, add to the XO Sauce and fry all for 10 minutes. Add reserved Shaoxing to the XO Sauce. Cook over low heat, simmering for 1 hour or until sauce is a deep red colour and very aromatic. Remove wok from the heat and set aside.
- Meanwhile, for the Aromatic Stock, place the water in a large saucepan with all the vegetable and speck off cuts and bring to the boil. Reduce to low heat and simmer for 1 hour.
- Thinly slice the green part of the spring onion into rounds and set aside. Add the off cuts and roots to the Aromatic Stock.
- Meanwhile, for the Egg Noodles, knead the dough for 3 minutes. Divide the dough into two and shape the dough into logs about 20cm long. Lightly coat each log in oil, wrap in plastic wrap and rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.
- For the Egg Noodles, one at a time, dust the bench generously with wheat starch and place dough at portrait orientation. Press the rolling pin down once length ways. On a diagonal angle, use the rolling pin to press along the length of the dough to gradually flatten. On the opposite diagonal angle, press along the length again. Repeat the entire process again.
- Fold the dough in half, short side to short side, and repeat the same process of using the rolling pin to press once down the middle, then pressing along the dough on opposing diagonal angles. Unfold and use the rolling pin to remove the creases.
- Fold the dough into thirds and repeat the rolling pin process above. Unfold and use the rolling pin to remove the creases.
- Use the rolling pin to roll the pastry around the pin. Carefully remove the rolling pin, leaving the pastry rolled. Repeat the rolling pin process. Unroll and use the rolling pin to remove the creases.
- Again, use the rolling pin to roll the pastry around the pin. Carefully remove the rolling pin, leaving the pastry rolled. Repeat the rolling pin process. Unroll and use the rolling pin to remove the creases.
- Fold the dough into short layers and use a sharp knife to cut 3-4mm strips. Use gentle but fast hands to flick the noodles to open up some of the cuts. Gently pick up to separate the noodles, shaking to dust excess flour off.
- Half fill a medium saucepan with water and bring to the boil. In batches, add 120g of noodles to a noodle basket and submerge in the boiling water for 1 minute or until the noodles are just cooked. Shake excess water from noodles.
- Heat 30ml canola oil in a non-stick wok over medium heat then add drained egg noodles. Fry for 4 minutes, without agitating for at least the first 90 seconds or until set as one crisp piece. Continue to fry, turning to cook until both sides are golden and crispy but noodles still soft on the inside. If the noodles start to stick, add more oil to loosen and avoid burning. Remove noodles from the wok and drain on a paper towel lined tray until cool.
- Strain the Aromatic Stock, discarding the vegetables and speck, add the stock straight to the XO Sauce and bring to the boil. Add sugar, salt and oyster sauce, return to the boil over then reduce to medium heat for 5 minutes or until sugar dissolves.
- In a small bowl, combine corn starch and water and whisk until smooth. Bring the XO Sauce to a rolling boil. Add corn starch mixture to the saucepan of XO Sauce whilst boiling, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens and is glossy.
- In a wok, add equal portions of XO sauce and pipis. Stir constantly over low heat for 2-3 minutes. Add half the green spring onion and keep stirring.
- Place crispy noodles on serving plate. Spoon the cooked pipis over the noodles, piling high with a generous amount of sauce. Scatter remaining spring onion over the dish and serve immediately.
Notes
Note – Store excess XO Sauce in sterilized jars for 1-2 weeks.
Tip – To save a little time in the preparation of this dish, use good quality store bought fresh egg noodles.
