Hokkien Prawn Mee (Spicy Prawn Noodle Soup)
Quick answer
Hokkien prawn mee is one of the defining noodle dishes of Singapore's hawker culture, built on a dual stock of roasted shrimp shells and slow-simmered pork bones.
What makes this special
- Hokkien Prawn Mee soup combines a roasted shrimp shell stock with slow-simmered pork bone broth.
- Prawn shells and garlic are fried until fragrant, then combined with pork broth for a layered 20-minute stock
- Sambal chili dissolves slowly into the broth, building heat with each sip
Key ingredients
Core cooking flow
- 1 Peel 250g shrimp, keeping the shells separate from the meat.
- 2 Heat 1 tbsp cooking oil in a pot over medium-high heat.
- 3 Pour in 900ml pork stock and scrape the browned flavor from the bottom into the liquid.
Hokkien prawn mee is one of the defining noodle dishes of Singapore's hawker culture, built on a dual stock of roasted shrimp shells and slow-simmered pork bones. The shrimp are broken down into shells and meat before cooking begins - the shells are fried in oil with garlic until deeply browned and fragrant, and this step alone sets the ceiling of flavor the final broth can reach. Pork stock is added to the pan and the combined liquid simmers for twenty minutes before being strained, producing a broth that appears almost clear but carries a concentrated marine and pork depth. Egg noodles and the reserved shrimp meat are cooked directly in this strained liquid, and fish sauce is stirred in to reinforce the ocean character. A spoonful of sambal chili paste rests on the surface and gradually dissolves into the soup as the bowl is eaten, intensifying with each sip. Chopped scallion adds a fresh green note against the rich, amber broth.
Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Heat
Peel 250g shrimp, keeping the shells separate from the meat.
Refrigerate the shrimp meat until the broth is ready, slice 20g scallion, and prepare 15g garlic so it can fry evenly with the shells.
- 2Control
Heat 1 tbsp cooking oil in a pot over medium-high heat.
Add the shrimp shells and garlic, then fry for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring often, until the shells turn red and smell deeply toasted.
- 3Control
Pour in 900ml pork stock and scrape the browned flavor from the bottom into the liquid.
Simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes, keeping it gently bubbling so the shrimp flavor infuses without reducing too aggressively.
- 4Control
Strain the broth through a fine sieve and discard the shells and garlic.
Return the clear broth to the pot, bring it back to medium heat, and cook 220g egg noodles for 3 to 4 minutes.
- 5Finish
When the noodles are tender but still springy, add the reserved shrimp meat and simmer for 2 more minutes.
Once the shrimp turns opaque, stir in 1 tbsp fish sauce and taste the broth for balance.
- 6Prep
Divide the noodles and shrimp into bowls first, then ladle the hot broth over them.
Top with 1 tbsp sambal and the sliced scallion, letting the chili paste dissolve gradually as the soup is eaten.
After the steps
Pick a recipe that fits this dish.
Continue with shared ingredients, meal pairings, or a similar method.
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