Penang Curry Mee

• 6-8 tiger prawns, whole, head on

• 400g fresh clams

• 2-3 tbsp dried shrimp

• 100g pigs blood cubes (optional)

• Handful tofu puffs (tofu pok)

• Handful beansprouts

• 3-4 tbsp vegetable oil

• 1 pack chicken flavoured instant noodles

The Curry Paste

• 1 tsp dried shrimp paste (belacan)

• 8-10 Thai shallots

• 5 cloves garlic

• 2 lemongrass sticks

• 5 dried red chillies, soaked in hot water for 15-20 minutes

• 7-8 large red chillies

• 3 tbsp coriander seeds

• 1 tsp white peppercorns

The Stock

• 2L fresh chicken stock

• 100ml coconut milk

• 2-3 tbsp rock sugar

• 1 tsp salt

Chop up the garlic cloves and chilli, bash and chop the lemongrass, soak and chop the shallots, chop the fresh chillies, and add that all to a pestle and mortar along with the peppercorns, coriander and shrimp paste. Pound well until smooth. 

Put a saucepan  on a medium heat, and coat the bottom with oil. Cook off the paste for 6-8 mins, until the colour has darken. Add a couple of tablespoons of coconut milk with a couple of pieces of  the  rock sugar and salt, to allow them to melt into the paste. Remove ¾ of the paste form the saucepan, this will be used to the sambal. Add the rest of the coconut milk to the remaining paste, next add the dried shrimps and chicken stock and bring to a boil and then let it simmer. 

Slice the tofu in half, leave the prawns whole, cut the blood into cubes. After the stock has been  boiling for 20 mins add the rest of the  salt and rock sugar. Now add the prawns, followed by the tofu, let them cook for 5 mins. In the meantime get your wok to a high heat, add some oil and fry off the clams. After 5 mins fish the prawns out and set to the side. Cook the clams through, adding some sambal to them for flavour. Once they're open take them off the heat, peel the prawns, take the tofu out and add the noodles to the stock for 30 seconds, take them out add the pigs blood for about 30 seconds to a minute to warm through. 

Add the noodles to a bowl and top with the tofu, prawns, pigs blood, bean sprouts (blanched for 10 secs in the stock) then add the clams. Top with the stock and a tsp of chilli sambal on top.