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“Japanese Bridge” Pork Udon Noodles (≈ Cao Lau)
Course:
Breakfast, Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine:
Asian Inspired, Vietnamese
Keyword:
noodles, pork belly, salad, udon, Vietnamese
Servings:
4
people
Author:
Steve Paris
Inspired by Cao Lau and Hoi An's Japanese Bridge, these pork udon noodles combine fresh and herbal greens and crunchy garnishes with the deep flavours of the slow-cooked broth and the braised pork belly.
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Ingredients
Braised pork belly
400
g
pork belly in one piece, often sold as strips
1
piece
ginger, thumb sized piece coarsely chopped
1
piece
ginger, thumb sized piece finely diced
4
cloves
garlic, finely diced
4
shallots, finely diced
1
tsp
Chinese five-spice mix
2
Tbsp
cooking oil
1/2
tsp
salt
1
tsp
freshly ground black pepper
1
Tbsp
coconut caramel
3
Tbsp
fish sauce
1
litre fresh coconut juice
Broth
6
cloves
garlic, finely chopped
2
Tbsp
soy sauce
1
Tbsp
fish sauce
1
tsp
5-spice powder
1
tsp
sugar
1
tsp
ground pepper
1
Tbsp
duck fat
optional. Substitute with vegetable oil
800
ml
pork and chicken bone broth
see recipe
Noodles
700
g
pre-cooked udon noodles
or 400 g dried udon noodles
Other toppings
5
Won ton wrappers cut into quarters
to make the cao lầu crackers
200
g
bean sprouts
Mixed small leaf greens and herbs such as Thai basil, Vietnamese mint, and perilla.
Chilli jam
according to your preference
1
lime
Instructions
Braised pork belly (thịt kho nước dừa) (do a day ahead)
Wash and dice the ginger.
Put the pork belly and the coarsely chopped ginger in a saucepan and fill with cold water to 30mm or so above the pork.
Bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes, skimming off the scum regularly.
Drain, discarding the water.
Rinse the pork belly under running water, then allow to drain and dry a little.
In a heavy based, high sided pan, heat the oil.
Add the pork belly and brown each side.
Add the finely diced ginger, onion, and garlic and stir until very fragrant and starting to brown.
Add to the saucepan the coconut juice, five-spice mix, the fish sauce, and the coconut caramel.
Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Skim off any scum that collects on the top.
Cover and simmer for 2 hours, turning the pork belly over half-way through.
Remove the pork belly from the braising liquid, allow to cool, then cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator until required.
Broth
Sauté the garlic in the duck fat or vegetable oil until fragrant but don’t let it brown.
Add the other broth ingredients and stir.
Bring to a boil then reduce to a high simmer.
Simmer until reduced by 25%.
Noodles (1 hour prior to serving)
Cook the noodles according to the instructions on the packet.
Soak the cooked noodles in cold water until ready to serve.
Final prep
Shallow fry the pieces of won ton wrapper until crisp.
Drain on paper towels.
Unwrap the braised pork belly and slice into thin pieces. Lay out on a baking tray and blast with a blow torch or broil in the oven for a few minutes.
Refresh the noodles in boiling water for 30 seconds before adding to the bowl.
In the same saucepan of boiling water you refreshed the noodles in, blanch the bean sprouts for 10-15 seconds.
Serving
Place a portion of noodles and some blanched bean sprouts into a serving bowl.
Top with slices of pork and ladle over about 150 ml of warm broth.
Top with some cao lầu crackers, some fresh herbs and greens, a spoonful of chilli jam, and a 1/4 of a lime.
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