Kwetiau Goreng: Fried Flat Rice Noodles

Ingredients

• 500 g flat rice noodles (kwetiau), fresh or soaked dried
• 200 g prawns, peeled and deveined
• 100 g Chinese sausage (lap cheong), thinly sliced on the diagonal
• 120 g bean sprouts, tails pinched if desired
• 4 spring onions, cut into 3 cm lengths
• 2 eggs
• 3 tbsp kecap manis
• 2 tbsp neutral cooking oil, high smoke-point

Method

1. 1
   Heat a wok over the highest possible flame until it begins to smoke. Add the oil and swirl to coat. The wok is ready when a drop of water vaporises on contact instantly.
2. 2
   Add the Chinese sausage slices and stir-fry until the fat renders and the edges colour, 30–45 seconds. Add the prawns and toss until they turn pink and just opaque throughout.
3. 3
   Push the contents to one side of the wok. Crack the eggs into the cleared space and scramble them loosely, then fold them through the sausage and prawns before they set completely.
4. 4
   Add the flat rice noodles. This is where the dish lives or dies: maintain maximum heat and toss the noodles continuously, pressing them against the wok surface in short bursts so they char slightly and absorb the wok's heat — the smell of toasted rice and smoke signals that wok hei is developing.
5. 5
   Pour the kecap manis over the noodles and toss to coat evenly. The noodles should be uniformly glossy and deep amber in colour with no pale, unseasoned strands visible.
6. 6
   Add the bean sprouts and spring onion. Toss for no more than 30 seconds: the sprouts should retain a distinct crunch when pressed between the fingers and the spring onion should have just wilted at the edges.