Shu's Spicy Late Night Special - Recipe by Shu Han Lee

Ingredients

2 Tbs vegetable oil or Garlic Oil (page 209)
250 g fatty minced (ground) pork
2 Tbs oyster sauce
1 tsp ?sh sauce
1 tsp light brown sugar
100 g frozen peas
1 fresh or frozen
RTed bird’s eye chilli (see tip)
3-4 Tbs water
Large handful (20 g) of fresh coriander (cilantro), Thai basil and/or basil
Plain rice or blanched noodles, to serve

Method

Heat the oil in a wok or a large frying pan over high heat. When smoking hot, add the pork, using your spatula to break up the meat and distribute over the base of the wok or pan. Leave the pork to fry, untouched, until it browns.

Once the pork turns golden brown at the edges, let the action begin! Add the oyster sauce, ?sh sauce and sugar and keep stirring and frying for a couple of minutes.

Chuck in the frozen peas. Using kitchen scissors, snip the chilli directly into the wok. Keep stirring until the peas turn bright green and tender and the pork is cooked through. Add a little splash of water – just enough to form a sauce – and bring to a simmer for 30 seconds.

Remove the wok from the heat. Roughly tear the herbs and gently fold them into the meat until they wilt from the residual heat in the wok. Serve immediately over plain rice or blanched noodles.

Tip:

I like to stick my bird’s eye chillies straight into the freezer so I have a steady supply of them; they freeze beautifully. To use, simply hold the frozen chilli under a running tap for a minute. Once softened, you can chop (or snip) away.

Credits: This is an edited extract from Agak Agak: Everyday Recipes from Singapore by Shu Han Lee, published by Hardie Grant Books. Available in stores nationally from 4 July 2024, RRP$49.99.

Photo Credits: Photography by Ola O. Smit