Ham hock with yellow bean sauce chow mein
- Prepare
- less than 30 mins
- Cook
- 1 to 2 hours
- Serve
- Serves 4
- Dietary
- Dairy-free
The unlikely combination of Chinese five-spice ham hock with crispy chow mein is a great one!
Ingredients
For the ham hock
- 800g/1lb 12oz ham hock
- ½ tsp Chinese five-spice powder
- ½ tsp white pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, roughly chopped
- 2cm/¾in piece ginger, peeled and sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, sliced
- 2 celery sticks
- ½ leek
- 2 star anise
- 2 tbsp black peppercorns
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 500ml/18fl oz chicken or pork stock
- 2 tsp cornflour
For the yellow bean sauce
- 3 tbsp black rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp caster sugar
- 3 tbsp yellow bean sauce
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
For the chow mein
- 300g/10½oz dried egg noodles
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil, for frying
- ½ Chinese cabbage, shredded
- 6 spring onions, chopped
- 1 carrot, peeled and shredded
- 2 red chillies, sliced
- 1 red pepper, thinly sliced
- 100g/3½oz bean sprouts
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- ½ tbsp ginger paste
- 2 tbsp coriander leaves
Method
To make the ham hock, rub the ham hock with the Chinese five-spice and white pepper.
Heat the oil in a pan and brown the ham hock all over. This will take 2–3 minutes.
Add the vegetables, aromatics and the sauce ingredients and mix to coat well. Then add the stock and 500ml/18fl oz water. Cook for 1½ hours or until tender.
Remove the ham hock, strain the stock and return the veg back into the sauce. Thicken with the cornflour over a medium heat.
To make the chow mein, cook the noodles for 2 minutes less than pack instructions. Drain and pat dry.
Add 5cm/2in vegetable oil to a wok on a high heat. Add the noodles in one layer to form a solid cake. Fry on one side until golden, then flip over and repeat. Remove and drain, then set aside.
Heat another 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in the work and fry the vegetables for a few minutes until just soft.
To serve, break the crispy noodles up a bit and add to the vegetables with some of the ham hock and sauce. Garnish with the coriander.
