Mushroom Ban Mian-ish
A noodle in anchovy broth, topped with crispy anchovies and fried shallots
Ingredients
Broth
- 15 g dried anchovies washed and pat dry
- 1 onion halved
- 2 sheets of kombu
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 300 g mushroom of your choice thinly sliced
- 200 g leafy greens of your choice
Crispy anchovies
- 100 g dried anchovies washed and pat dry
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp garlic powder
One serving of ban mian
- Noodle of your choice try using fresh one with a bite, like ramen noodle
- 1 egg
- 2 stalks of green onion thinly sliced
- Fried shallot
Instructions
- In a stock pot, cook the anchovies, onion and kombu sheets in 2 liters of water on medium heat. Let simmer for about 1 hour before removing the kombu sheets and anchovies. Add in the salt and sesame oil.
- Toss the anchovies in the oil and garlic powder. Spread them out on a lined baking sheet and bake in a pre-heated oven at 350F for 20 minutes. Take the baking sheet out and give the anchovies another toss. Put it back in the oven for another 5 minutes. Once the anchovies cool down, store them in an airtight container. This keeps for a month in the fridge.
- Cook the noodle according to the package’sinstructions.
- Heat 2 ladles of broth in a small sauce pan with the mushroom. When the mixture gently boils, drop in the egg and spinach and continue to cook until the mushroom softens.
- Transfer one serving of noodle into a bowl and ladle the broth on top. Sprinkle with the crispy anchovies, shallot and spring onion.
Notes
- This will not be a replicate of the ban mian you taste in Singapore (hence the name ban mian-ish), but it's the closest I could get to. Crispy anchovies and shallots could not be compromised because they make the dish what it is to me. I tried replacing them with canned anchovy fillets and breadcrumbs, which are widely available. It failed miserably.
- Smaller anchovies will crisp and brown more easily. The ones I have are bigger and often used in making stocks. Nevertheless, they still crisp in the oven. If fish eyes creep you out, remove the heads before using.