← Nouns Cooking · Malaysian & Singaporean

Ingredients

• 1 chicken legs (2 large) or half a chicken
• 300 g medium prawns, shell on
• 2.5 l Water
• 300 g Sarawak laksa paste (store-bought)
• 200 ml Coconut milk
• 1 tsp Sugar
• salt, to taste
• 400 g Rice vermicelli
• 300 g Bean sprouts, blanched
• 2 Eggs, beaten with a pinch of salt
• 6 calamansi limes or 2 limes, halved
• 1 handful Coriander (cilantro), chopped
• sambal belacan, to serve

Method

1. Put the chicken in a large pot with the water, bring to the boil, skim, then simmer for 25 min, until the chicken is cooked through (75°C/165°F at the bone). Add the prawns and cook for 3 min until pink.
2. Lift out the prawns, peel them and return the shells and heads to the pot. Lift out the chicken, shred the meat when cool enough and return the bones too.
3. Stir the laksa paste into the pot and simmer for 40–45 min so the shells and spices give up their flavour. Strain the broth through a fine sieve, pressing hard on the solids.
4. Bring the strained broth back to a simmer, stir in the coconut milk and sugar and season with salt. Keep it just below the boil.
5. Meanwhile, cook the eggs as a thin omelette in a lightly oiled pan, roll up and slice into fine strips. Soak the vermicelli in hot water until soft, then drain.
6. Divide noodles and bean sprouts between bowls, top with chicken, prawns and omelette, ladle over the hot broth and finish with coriander, a squeeze of calamansi and a spoon of sambal.

Tips

• Sarawak laksa paste (look for Swallow Globe or similar brands) is what everyone in Kuching uses; it is not the same as curry laksa paste.
• Contains shellfish and egg; most pastes also contain belacan and peanuts, so check the label.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Huang Kitchen Huang Kitchen Seasaltwithfood