Chilli Pan Mee

For the mushroom & pork, place the dried shitake mushrooms in a bowl and cover with hot water. Soak for 15 minutes. 

For the spicy chilli sambal, soak the dried shrimp in hot water for 15 minutes. And in a separate bowl, soak the dried chillies in hot water for 15 minutes. Once your ingredients are softened, drain the shrimp and place in the bowl of a food processor. Add the shallots and garlic and blend until finely chopped. Transfer the mixture to a bowl.

Squeeze the dried chillies (reserve the chilli soaking liquid) and place them in the same food processor. Add in the fresh chillies and blend to a rough paste (you may need to add a couple of tablespoons of chilli soaking liquid to help the processor along). Set aside.

Add the 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil into a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the dried shrimp mixture and cook, stirring, for 3-4 minutes. Now add in the chilli mixture and stir-fry until well combined. Then turn the heat to very low and cook, stirring every so often, for 30 minutes or until the mixture is dark and jammy. 

In the meantime, continue preparing your mushroom & pork. Squeeze your softened shitake mushrooms to remove excess liquid. Use a knife to remove and discard the tough stems. Then cut the mushrooms into thick slices. Set aside for later.

Heat the 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a work or large frying pan over high heat. Add the pork and stir-fry until almost cooked. Add the garlic and mushrooms and stir-fry for a couple of minutes. Then add the soy sauce, dark sweet soy sauce, oyster sauce, pepper and sugar. Stir-fry until well combined, then add 1 cup water and allow to simmer for 5 minutes.

In the meantime, finish the spicy chilli sambal by stirring through the sugar and salt. Stir-fry for a minute or until well combined and the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and set aside for later.

Finish the mushroom & pork by stirring through the corn flour mixture. Stir and simmer for a further minute or until thick and glossy. Turn the heat off and stir through the sesame oil and pepper.

For the crispy anchovies, heat the oil in a small frying pan over high heat. Add the dried anchovies and cook for 2-3 minutes or until crisp. Drain on paper towel.

To assemble, divide the noodles and snow peas among serving bowls. Top with the mushroom & pork. Add a generous couple of spoonfuls of the spicy chilli sambal, a small handful of the crispy anchovies and a poached egg. Serve with extra spicy chilli sambal on the side. Mix everything in the bowl before digging in!