Singapore Noodleless
Before I attended culinary school, I was an international flight attendant for seven years. Straight out of airline training in Honolulu, I was sent to San Francisco, which was a very senior base. I actually had no desire to be based there. Growing up in the Midwest, I had not travelled internationally at all. I wanted to be based in New York and fly to Europe. Instead, I was sent to San Francisco, a base of 500 flight attendants, and I was #497 in seniority for the entire seven years that I flew.
My trips were 5 to 8 days long, and I typically had two trips per month. Singapore was a 5-day trip from San Francisco via Hong Kong and back. Manila was a 6-day trip from SFO via Tokyo. Bangkok was another regular trip via Hong Kong. We also had 8-day round-the-world trips, eastbound or westbound (flight #001 and flight #002). There were also 7-day trips to Mumbai (then known as Bombay) or New Delhi. I spent a great deal of time in Asia and India, and I learned a great deal about Asian and Indian cuisine.
As Tokyo was a hub for many of my flights, I had a lot of layovers in Tokyo. The stays were not long, and we were often very exhausted. We didn’t always venture too far from our hotel. I had a lot of meals in that hotel, though I ordered the same meal nearly every time – Singapore Noodles.
This dish was unlike anything I had ever seen or tasted growing up in Minnesota. A huge portion of rice vermicelli noodles was quickly tossed in a hot wok with prawns, char siu pork, loads of fresh vegetables and bamboo sprouts, and seasoned with curry, onions, garlic, and chili oil. What’s not to love?
Living in San Francisco back then, I never tried to make this dish at home. It was too easy and inexpensive to find delicious versions all over the city. But I was really in the mood for this dish last week, and since I now live in Florida, I decided to try my hand at it, minus the oodles of noodles. So, I doubled up on the protein and veggies and called my version Singapore NoodleLess. I hope you enjoy it.
Singapore NoodleLess
Ingredients
2 eggs (beaten)
2 Tbsp. grapeseed or canola oil, divided
1-pound large shrimp, peeled, deveined, and halved lengthwise
8 ounces chopped or shredded char siu pork* (Chinese Roast Pork) (or roast pork or ham)
1 Tbsp. Shaoxing wine (or sherry wine)
2 green Thai peppers (optional)
4 cups shredded cabbage
1 red onion, peeled, halved and cut in julienne
1 ½ cups julienne Melissa’s baby bell peppers (yellow, orange and/or red), halved lengthwise, seeded and sliced thinly crosswise
1 Tbsp. curry powder
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. white pepper
¼ cup chicken stock or water
½ tsp. sesame oil
1 ½ tsp. soy sauce
1 scallion (julienned) or ¼ cup thinly sliced chives
½ cup chopped cilantro
¼ cup chopped Thai basil
Instructions
Heat wok over medium-high heat. Add 1 Tbsp. of oil. Add the beaten eggs, and when the edges are starting to get crisp, flip them over. Cook for 1 minute longer and remove from wok. Set aside to cool. Then cut into long thin strips.
Add remaining Tbsp. of oil. When hot, add the shrimp and roast pork (or ham or Chinese Sausage). Stir-fry for another 15 seconds. Remove pan from heat.
Drizzle Shaoxing wine around the perimeter of the wok and stir-fry for another 15 seconds. Return pan to heat. Then add chilies (if using), cabbage, onion, and bell peppers. Stir-fry for 30 seconds.
Sprinkle the curry powder, salt, and white pepper over the vegetables. Stir-fry with two wooden spoons, continually stirring to combine the spices, vegetables, and meat.
Add broth or water and continue stirring. Add the sesame oil and soy sauce. Stir well and cook for one more minute. Add sliced egg and chopped herbs to pan. Toss well. Serve hot with chili oil if desired.
