STORY BEHIND THE RECIPE
Pork and Prawn Macaroni in Homemade Prawn Broth is one of the recipes I keep in my back pocket for days when I am too tired to cook a full meal.
Most households stock up on dried foodstuff like instant noodles or bee hoon for last minute meals, but for me, I always have a ready stock of macaroni because it is a very versatile main meal.
My Pork and Prawn Macaroni recipe needs only three main ingredients (the rest are just condiments and garnishing)! At the same time, it is so satisfying! It’s also kid friendly as kids usually love macaroni, so I used to prepare it for my children’s lunch when they were young, and now my grandchildren also have it regularly.
TRICK OF THE TRADE
For the prawn broth, I always like to keep a ready stock of home-made prawn broth in my freezer. Whenever I devein prawns (see how to devein prawns) for other dishes, I always save all the prawn heads and shell in the freezer. Once I have accumulated a large quantity of prawn heads and shell, I will make a large batch of prawn broth and store it in the freezer.
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The resulting prawn broth is naturally sweet and flavourful – there is no need to add chicken granules or MSG.
Not only can you use the prawn broth to make a quick and easy meal of Pork and Prawn Macaroni, you can also use the prawn broth to cook fried Hokkien prawn noodles, prawn noodle soup, or as a soup base for fried bee hoon! By making the prawn broth in a large batch, you can save loads of time having to prepare it from scratch every time.
WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THIS DISH
- It’s simple and easy to make, as it only requires 3 main ingredients !
- No MSG needed or found in the soup. It’s all naturally made from prawn broth!
HOW TO MAKE PRAWN AND PORK MACARONI?
Wash the meat and cut into cubes, then marinate the meat with the meat marinade ingredients and set aside for 15-20 minutes.
Peel and devein the prawns (watch this video), then wash the prawns and cut them into half. Next, add 1/4 tsp each of sugar and salt to the cut prawns and set aside for 10 minutes.
Wash the prawn shells thoroughly and drain dry.
In a large pot, add in 3 litres of water, 1 tbsp of salt and 1 tbsp of oil and bring to a boil over high heat.
When the water is boiling, put in the macaroni and boil for about 10 mins with the lid on, but leaving a gap.
Then turn off the heat, cover the pot completely and leave the macaroni to steep in the pot for 15 mins to continue cooking. After 15 minutes, drain the macaroni using a sieve, then transfer to a bowl and set aside.
In a wok, add 2 tsp of oil and 1 tsp of chopped garlic, and fry the garlic over medium high heat until aromatic.
Next, add in the prawn shells and fry until fragrant for about 5 mins over high heat. Use the metal spatula to press against the prawn heads to extract the juices, which adds to the flavour of the stock.
Pour 1.5 litre of hot boiling water over the prawn shells and allow to simmer slowly for about 10-15 mins over medium low heat.
Next, pour the prawn stock through a sieve into a pot.
Bring the prawn stock to a boil over high heat, then add salt and light soya sauce to taste.
Then add in the prawns, then immediately turn off the heat completely to prevent the prawns from becoming overcooked.
Scoop the cooked macaroni into individual serving bowls and pour the piping hot soup over it together with the meat and prawns.
Finally, garnish with parsley or spring onion, and serve with fried crispy shallots. Serve hot
COOKING TIPS
- To check whether the macaroni is cooked or not, take one out and cut it. If the inside is still whitish in color, it is not cooked. Boil it again for another 5 mins.
- Add oil to the macaroni during cooking is to prevent it from sticking and becoming lumpy.
- Do not over-cook the meat and the prawn. If the macaroni is not served immediately, you can take out the cooked meat and prawn and set aside until it is ready to be served. When it is served, just place them on top of the macaroni and heat up the soup and pour over it before serving.
- Do not soak the macaroni in the water or the soup for too long. It will turn soft and mushy.
TIPS ON BOILING MACARONI
- Don’t boil the macaroni or (any kind of pasta) for too long.
- The water must be boiling before you put the macaroni in, otherwise the macaroni will stick together in large clumps.
- Turn off the fire and allow the macaroni to steep in the boiling hot water with the lid completely covered for about 20 minutes after boiling the macaroni for 10-15 mins. The macaroni will continue to cook by itself, but it will not end up overcooked!
- Make sure there is lots of water in the pot when boiling the macaroni. As I explained in my basic tapioca pearl sago recipe, if there is not enough water when boiling starchy foodso, the water will become very starchy. When that happens, the heat will not be able to penetrate to cook the pasta through, resulting in half-cooked pasta.
STORING TIPS FOR PRAWNS
- Save up the prawn shells each time you cook prawns for other dishes. When you have accumulated a large quantity of prawn shells, you can make a large batch of prawn broth to freeze for later use. To do this…
- fry the prawn shells with garlic and add a bowl of water to it.
- Boil for about 10 mins.
- Pour the prawn stock over a sieve in a container.
- Once it is cooled, separate the stock into smaller portions, and store in the freezer for later use.
- The stock can be kept for several weeks in the freezer.
- Use the prawn stock for other dishes. The stock is naturally sweet and flavourful and there is no need to add chicken granules or MSG.
- cook prawn noodle (fried Hokkien noodle or prawn noodle soup),
- fry dried shrimp and turnip as popiah /kueh pie tee filling,
- use it as a soup base for fried beehoon or macaroni etc.
DIETARY MODIFICATIONS
- Egg-Free: No modifications needed.
- Fish-Free: No modifications needed.
- Gluten-Free: Use gluten free macaroni and gluten free soya sauce.
- Nut-Free: No modifications needed.
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Prawn and Pork Macaroni in Home-made Prawn Broth
Ingredients
- 200 g Macaroni
- 150 g Lean Pork
- 12 Medium Size Prawns Medium Size
- 3 litres Water To cook macaroni
- 1 tbsp Salt
- 1 tbsp Oil
- 1-2 tsp Light Soy Sauce
Marinade for Lean Pork
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1 dash Pepper
- 1 tsp Oil
- 1 tsp Sesame Oil
- 1 tsp Corn Flour
Marinade for Prawns
- 1/4 tsp Sugar
- 1/4 tsp Salt
Prawn Stock
- 2 tsp Oil
- 1 tsp Garlic Chopped
- 1.5 litres Water Boiling
- Salt To taste
- Light Soy Sauce To taste
Garnishing
- 1 sprig Spring Onion Optional
- 1 bundle Parsley Optional
- 3-4 tbsp Crispy Shallots Optional
Instructions
PREPARATION METHOD
- Wash the meat and cut into cubes, then marinate the meat with the meat marinade ingredients and set aside for 15-20 minutes.
- Peel and devein the prawns (watch this video), then wash the prawns and cut them into half. Next, add 1/4 tsp each of sugar and salt to the cut prawns and set aside for 10 minutes.
- Wash the prawn shells thoroughly and drain dry.
COOKING METHOD
- In a large pot, add in 3 litres of water, 1 tbsp of salt and 1 tbsp of oil and bring to a boil over high heat.
- When the water is boiling, put in the macaroni and boil for about 10 mins with the lid on, but leaving a gap.
- Then turn off the heat, cover the pot completely and leave the macaroni to steep in the pot for 15 mins to continue cooking. After 15 minutes, drain the macaroni using a sieve, then transfer to a bowl and set aside.
- In a wok, add 2 tsp of oil and 1 tsp of chopped garlic, and fry the garlic over medium high heat until aromatic.
- Next, add in the prawn shells and fry until fragrant for about 5 mins over high heat. Use the metal spatula to press against the prawn heads to extract the juices, which adds to the flavour of the stock.
- Pour 1.5 litre of hot boiling water over the prawn shells and allow to simmer slowly for about 10-15 mins over medium low heat.
- Next, pour the prawn stock through a sieve into a pot.
- Bring the prawn stock to a boil over high heat, then add salt and light soya sauce to taste.
- Add in the marinated meat and boil for about 5 mins.
- Then add in the prawns, then immediately turn off the heat completely to prevent the prawns from becoming overcooked.
- Scoop the cooked macaroni into individual serving bowls and pour the piping hot soup over it together with the meat and prawns.
- Finally, garnish with parsley or spring onion, and serve with fried crispy shallots. Serve hot.
Notes
COOKING TIPS
- To check whether the macaroni is cooked or not, take one out and cut it. If the inside is still whitish in color, it is not cooked. Boil it again for another 5 mins.
- Add oil to the macaroni during cooking is to prevent it from sticking and becoming lumpy.
- Do not over-cook the meat and the prawn. If the macaroni is not served immediately, you can take out the cooked meat and prawn and set aside until it is ready to be served. When it is served, just place them on top of the macaroni and heat up the soup and pour over it before serving.
- Do not soak the macaroni in the water or the soup for too long. It will turn soft and mushy.
TIPS ON BOILING MACARONI
- Don’t boil the macaroni or (any kind of pasta) for too long.
- The water must be boiling before you put the macaroni in, otherwise the macaroni will stick together in large clumps.
- Turn off the fire and allow the macaroni to steep in the boiling hot water with the lid completely covered for about 20 minutes after boiling the macaroni for 10-15 mins. The macaroni will continue to cook by itself, but it will not end up overcooked!
- Make sure there is lots of water in the pot when boiling the macaroni. As I explained in my basic tapioca pearl sago recipe, if there is not enough water when boiling starchy foodso, the water will become very starchy. When that happens, the heat will not be able to penetrate to cook the pasta through, resulting in half-cooked pasta.
STORING TIPS FOR PRAWNS
- Save up the prawn shells each time you cook prawns for other dishes. When you have accumulated a large quantity of prawn shells, you can make a large batch of prawn broth to freeze for later use. To do this...
- fry the prawn shells with garlic and add a bowl of water to it.
- Boil for about 10 mins.
- Pour the prawn stock over a sieve in a container.
- Once it is cooled, separate the stock into smaller portions, and store in the freezer for later use.
- The stock can be kept for several weeks in the freezer.
- Use the prawn stock for other dishes. The stock is naturally sweet and flavourful and there is no need to add chicken granules or MSG.
- cook prawn noodle (fried Hokkien noodle or prawn noodle soup),
- fry dried shrimp and turnip as popiah /kueh pie tee filling,
- use it as a soup base for fried beehoon or macaroni etc.
