Serves 5

More ingredients because this is an extravagant version of Singapore dish

200 g belly pork

5 hard-boiled eggs, shelled

1/2 cup chunks of fried fish

1/2 cup 0.5 cm thick slices ofngoh-hiang

5 fried dumplings (either gyoza or wanton)

1/2 cup sliced fried fish cake

1/2 cup mixture of chopped spring onion and celery

1 1/2 tsp minced garlic

5 tbsps good quality black Vinegar

1/4 cup chopped red chilli padi Ground pepper

1 kg Hokkien mee (fresh thick yellow noodle)

250 g bean sprouts, cleaned

1 egg white

1/3 cup potato flour

1 shallot, slightly crushed

2 cloves garlic, slightly crushed

4 slices ginger

1 star anise

1/4 tsp white pepper corns

1/4 cup dark soya sauce

1 tbsp light soya sauce

1 tbsp cooking oil

Sugar,approx 1 tbsp

Salt to taste

METHOD

1 Heat a deep pot with cooking oil and saute crushed garlic and shallot, ginger, peppercorns, star anise and sugar until fragrant. Add belly pork, sear on both sides. Add 10 cups of hot water, hard boiled eggs and dark soya sauce. Leave to simmer for an hour or slightly more. Season with light soya sauce and salt (Use 1/2 teaspoon first because Hokkien mee and other ingredients such as the fish cake may be salty.)

Remove braised belly pork and the hard boiled eggs. Cool before slicing them. Discard softened shallot, garlic, star anise, ginger and peppercorns.

2 Bring stock to boil again, stir in egg white.

3 Mix potato flour with water to form a diluted paste. Pour over simmering stock, stirring all the time until gravy thickens. Taste, adding a little more black soya sauce and sugar if necessary.

4 Divide mee and beansprouts into five portions. Scald in rolling boiling water for 30 seconds.

Drain well and put in large serving bowls.

5 Pour thickened gravy, about 1/2 cups per bowl, garnish with sliced belly pork, halved eggs, fried fish chunks, sliced fish cake, ngoh-hiang and fried dumplings.

Garnish with minced garlic and chopped spring onion and celery. Serve immediately with the chopped red chilli padi and vinegar.