Hokkien Prawn Mee Noodle Soup (Hae Mee)

Ingredients

• • 4 tablespoons peanut oil ((or vegetable oil))
• • 3 lbs (1.4 kg) pork meat and bone for braising ((I used feet and shank), coarsely chopped (*Footnote 1))
• • 1 lb (450 g) head-on prawns ((* Footnote 2))
• • 1/2 cup (40 g) dried prawns
• • 4 cloves garlic (, peeled)
• • 1 onion (, coarsely sliced)
• • 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• • 1 star anise pod
• • 1 cinnamon stick
• • 3 dried chilli peppers
• • 1 teaspoon white peppercorns
• • 2 tablespoons sugar
• • 1 lb yellow noodles ((or rice noodle sticks, or rice vermicelli))
• • 4 cups (4 oz) water spinach ((or spinach))
• • 2 cups (4 oz) bean sprouts
• • 4 fishcakes
• • 1 tablespoon soy sauce, or to taste ((Optional))
• • Fried shallots, for garnish ((Optional))
• • Sambal oelek sauce ((Optional))

Preparation Steps