Taiwanese Oyster Mee Sua (Orh Ah Mee Sua)

Step 1

Pour 6 cups of chicken broth in a large pot. Bring to a boil and then add bonito flakes and let it simmer for about 10 minutes then strain the stock. If you are using dried kombu as I did, there is no need to wash the kombu piece or trying to wipe off the whitish part on the kombu. When the water is boiling, add the kombu pieces and turn off the heat. Let it steep for 10 minutes to let the flavor infuse the broth. Don't boil the kombu as it turns bitter. Remove the kombu pieces after that and discard

Step 2

Add seasonings into the broth and have a taste and adjust to your taste. Keep in mind that we will be cooking mee sua, which is already salty in nature, directly in this broth. So don't season with too much salt

Step 3

Gently rinse the oyster in clean water. Pat them dry. Coat each piece of oyster in the sweet potato starch. Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Add the oyster piece and cook until the starch turns translucent, about 10-15 seconds. Refresh in cold water and then toss with a bit of sesame oil to prevent the oyster pieces sticking to each other. Set aside

Step 4

Mix cornstarch with water. Right before serving, bring the broth back to a boil. Add the mee sua noodles directly into the broth and cook until they are soft but not mushy. White mee sua doesn't take long to cook. The mee sua will leach out some starch and that will slightly thicken the broth too

Step 5

Give cornstarch mixture a quick stir to make sure nothing settles at the bottom and then gradually pour it in and keep gently stirring with one hand to thicken the sauce. If it's thick enough for you, you don't have to add all the cornstarch solution. Turn off the heat

Step 6

Portion the noodles into a serving bowl. Add some oysters. Garnish with fresh green onions, cilantro leaves, fried shallots crisp, and serve with black vinegar on the side. Serve immediately