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Hong Kong-style fried fish and squid balls with dark soy noodles

Preparation time
less than 30 mins

Cooking time
10 to 30 mins

Serves
Makes 12 balls

Saturday Kitchen Chefs - Ching He Huang

By Ching-He Huang
From Saturday Kitchen

Ingredients

For the noodles

  • 200g/7oz dried folded flat rice noodles
  • 1 tsp toasted sesame oil

For the coriander fish balls

  • 200g/7oz whole haddock fillet, skin removed, roughly chopped
  • 100g/3½oz squid, cleaned, roughly chopped
  • pinch sea salt flakes
  • pinch ground white pepper
  • 1 tsp oyster sauce
  • 1 tsp Shaoxing rice wine (or dry sherry)
  • 1 large free-range egg white
  • 1 tbsp cornflour
  • 1 tbsp finely sliced coriander stems
  • rapeseed oil, for deep frying

For the garnish

  • handful kale leaves
  • 1 tsp finely ground sea salt
  • 1 tsp ground white pepper
  • 3 tsp sugar
  • few sprigs coriander leaves

For the noodle stir–fry

  • 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
  • 1 tbsp freshly grated root ginger
  • 3 shiitake mushrooms, stalks removed, sliced
  • 100g/3½oz smoked tofu, sliced into thin batons
  • 1 tsp premium dark soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp oyster sauce (optional)
  • pinch caster sugar
  • 100g/3½oz raw beansprouts, washed
  • 1 large bunch (4–5) purple spring onions, julienned
  • 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
  • 1 tsp chilli oil

Method

  1. Bring 1.5 litres/2½ pints of water to the boil and add the dried rice noodles. Cook for 10 minutes until al dente, drain under cold water, drizzle over the sesame oil and toss together to prevent the noodles from sticking. Set aside.

  2. For the coriander fish balls, place the chopped haddock and squid in a food processor, add the salt, ground white pepper, oyster sauce, Shaoxing rice wine, egg white and cornflour, and mix well to a light paste.

  3. Spoon out into a bowl, sprinkle over the finely chopped coriander stems and mix well. Using two spoons, shape into balls – the mixture should make 12 balls of 3.5cm/1¾ in diameter.

  4. Quater-fill a deep-fat fryer or wok with the rapeseed oil and preheat to 180C (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.) Drop in the balls and cook until they float to the surface and turn golden-brown. Carefully spoon the balls out and drain on kitchen paper.

  5. For the garnish, drop the kale one by one into the oil and fry until crisp, then drain on kitchen paper. Combine the salt, ground white pepper and sugar in a small bowl. Lightly dust the kale with the mixture to coat.

  6. For the noodle stir-fry, heat a wok over high heat, add the rapeseed oil until hot. Add the ginger for a few seconds, then add the shiitake mushroom and smoked tofu pieces and cook for 2 minutes, or until browning at the edges.

  7. Sprinkle over the crispy kale and fresh coriander and serve immediately with the coriander fish balls.

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