Ingredients

• 1 tbsp sunflower oil
• 2 garlic cloves
• roughly chopped
• 3cm/1¼in piece fresh root ginger
• peeled and cut into fine matchsticks
• 1 star anise
• ½ long or 1 short stick cinnamon
• broken into shards
• 2–3 leafy stems from the top of 1 stick celery
• stems cut into short lengths
• leaves roughly chopped
• 1½ tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• ¼ tsp ground white pepper
• 1 tsp chicken stock concentrate
• 1 tbsp ketjap manis (or 1 tbsp dark soy sauce mixed with 1 tbsp soft dark brown sugar)
• 10 raw peeled king prawns
• thawed if frozen
• 80g/2¾oz mung bean (glass) noodles or rice vermicelli
• soaked and drained as per packet instructions
• fat pinch ground cinnamon
• fat pinch ground cloves

Directions

• On a high heat
• heat the oil in a large wok. Add the garlic
• ginger
• star anise
• cinnamon and the sliced leafy stems of celery
• reserve the celery leaves for a garnish. Cook
• stirring
• for 1 minute. Stir in both soy sauces and leave to simmer for 30 seconds
• then stir in the oyster sauce and ground pepper.
• Add 100ml/3½fl oz cold water
• followed by the chicken stock concentrate and the ketjap manis (or the mixture of dark soy sauce with soft brown sugar)
• stir until everything’s well combined and bring to the boil.
• Add the king prawns
• immersing them in the liquid. Simmer until the prawns are cooked through. Finally
• add the drained noodles and stir well – I find a couple of pasta forks
• one in each hand
• best for this – so that everything is combined
• and most of the dark liquid is absorbed. Add the pinches of ground cinnamon and cloves
• stir again
• and if you’re not serving straight from the wok
• pour into a serving bowl
• and sprinkle with the reserved chopped celery leaves.