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Ipoh is famous with its signature dishes of Bean Sprouts Chicken (芽菜雞) and Shredded Chicken Hor Fun (雞丝河粉). You can actually find many of these combination food stalls all over Ipoh. The locals recommended Lou Wong (老黃) or Onn Kee (安記) in the town if you have a chance to pay a visit in Ipoh.

This time I was only preparing the Shredded Chicken Hor Fun or Flat Rice Noodle, and in an easy way. Usually a whole chicken (preferably free range chicken / 土雞) is used by poaching in a hot water bath till cooked, and then cool down in an icy bath. This is the important part to maintain the smoothness and juiciness of the chicken texture. But for a smaller portion I am just using a chicken quarter and breast for cooking.

The most important thing is the soup base. It will not be as original as the food stalls they might have secret recipes but close enough. I cooked mine with too much shrimps it get slightly fishy so I suggested to reduce the shrimps. For the bean sprouts and rice noodles, you just have to blanch in hot water for 5 minutes and drain.

A hot bowl of  “Sar Hor Fun”, it looks simple but yet so delicious. The flat noodle soup is served in a sweet broth, accompanied with silky smooth shredded chicken meats and fresh crisp blanched bean sprouts, garnish with chopped scallions and fried shallots. You will love it even if you are not a noodle fan!

Ingredients:

1 chicken leg quarter
1 chicken breast
1/2 lb Shrimp with Heads and Tails On (save about 8-10 shrimp heads)
1 small handful (around 15-20) of dried anchovies (remove heads and intestines, rinse)
1 lb Pork Bones or Pork Ribs (blanch in boiling water before putting into soup)
1-2 cans chicken broth
1 medium Jicama (cut into pieces)
1 tsp peppercorns (crushed)
1 1/2″ ginger (sliced)
6 cloves garlic (crushed)
3 tbsp Shaoxing Wine
1/2 packet Bean Sprouts
1 packet fresh Flat Rice Noodles
Salt & Pepper to taste

Serve: 4 -6 people

Cooking Method:

1. Fill a big pot with water enough to cover over the chicken, bring to boil then turn heat off. Put the leg quarter and breast into hot water and stand for 45 minutes to an hour. Check for doneness.
2. Take out chicken pieces and place it into a large bowl of ice bath to stop the cooking process.  When the chicken is cool down, shred the chicken meat with a fork or by using your fingers.
3. Keep the poached chicken stock and add in another 1-2 cans of chicken broth for more flavors, bring to boil.
4. In the mean time, remove shrimp heads & shrimp shell, cut the shrimps into halves horizontally. Save about 8-10 shrimps heads to put into soup (try the soup base during cooking and adding shrimp heads slowly)
5. Put all garlic, ginger, peppercorns, anchovies, shrimps heads, pork bones, jicama and wine into the boiling chicken stock. Cook for 15 minutes and turn heat to low, simmer for 11/2 -2 hours. The longer it cooks the more flavorful. Try the soup base and add salt & pepper to taste.
6. Bring another clean pot of water to boil, blanch the rice noodle, bean sprouts and shrimp halves separately.
7. Place individual portion of rice noodle into a bowl, ladle with soup base,  top with shredded chicken meats, handful of bean sprouts and couple of cooked shrimps. Garnish with chopped scallions, fried shallots. Serve with bird’s eye chilies soy sauce dipping.