Recipe: Chinese Pork and Shrimp Rice Noodles in Broth (with Vietnamese variation)

CHINESE PORK AND SHRIMP RICE NOODLES IN BROTH
(with Vietnamese variation)

4 dried oriental mushrooms (or 6 fresh mushrooms)
6 leaves of napa cabbage
1/2 lb pork chop meat, thinly sliced into 1/4-inch strips
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp hoisin sauce
3 tbsp water
2 tsp cornstarch
4 tbsp vegetable oil
3 green onions, cut into 2-inch slivers
1 cup small shrimp, peeled and deveined
8 cups chicken stock
1/2 lb rice stick noodles (may substitute egg noodles or vermicelli)
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Soak the dried mushrooms in hot water for 10 minutes. Remove the stems and slice the caps into strips. (Just slice the fresh mushrooms, if using fresh). Set aside.

Stack the cabbage leaves; then cut across into strips 2 inches wide. Cut each strip across the width into slivers 2 inches in length. Set aside.

Place the pork strips in a bowl with the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, water and cornstarch. Mix until the pork is thoroughly coated. set aside to marinate for 20 minutes.

Heat the oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat and stir-fry the pork for 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, drain the pork and remove to a paper-towel-lined plate.

Bring the oil back up to high heat and stir-fry the mushrooms and onions for 2 minutes. Add the shredded cabbage and shrimp and fry until the shrimp becomes pink and the cabbage becomes limp.

Add the stock and bring to a boil. Add the rice noodles and boil for one minute. Return the pork to the wok just to heat through and season with the salt and pepper.

VIETNAMESE VARIATION:
Omit the mushrooms. Stir-fry the onions with the pork. Substitute 3 large tomatoes, each cut into 6 segments, for the cabbage. Serve the soup in individual bowls, first placing a lettuce leaf torn into a few pieces, a few bean sprouts, 4 or 5 narrow strips of cucumber, 3 mint leaves and a scattering of chopped cilantro leaves in the bottom of each bowl before pouring the soup in. Garnish with a sprinkling of crushed peanuts. This version may also be made with chicken instead of pork.

Servings: 6
Source: Dallas Morning News; July 26, 1995