Wonton Noodle Soup with Char Siu, No Added Refined Sugar

Method

1. Peel 200g onion and cut it in half, then peel and mince 15g shallot. Wash the spring onion and cilantro, mince the roots and chop the leaves. Cut the garlic chives into lengths, trim the bok choy and rinse it.
2. Cut the salted preserved radish into pieces, soak it in water for 15 minutes, then rinse it several times to draw out the salt.
3. Rinse 30g dried shrimp and 40g dried squid, drain them, then toast until fragrant. Put the peppercorns, dried shrimp, dried squid and 1 tablespoon fried shallots into a cloth bag and tie it shut.
4. Soak 5kg pork bones in dilute salt water for 15 minutes, rinse several times, blanch in boiling water and rinse again.
5. Put the bones in a pot with 4 liters water, half an onion, the shallot, 1/2 tablespoon salt, 1 tablespoon kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, the spice bag, the salted radish and the cilantro roots, then bring to a boil over high heat.
6. Once it boils, skim the foam, lower the heat to medium low and simmer for 1 hour 30 minutes.
7. Lift out the spice bag, onion, shallot and bones, top the pot back up to 4 liters, then season with 1 tablespoon salt, 3 tablespoons seasoning powder, 1 tablespoon kOBE Monk Fruit Blend and 1/2 tablespoon MSG.
8. Rinse 400g fresh shrimp, peel and devein them, mince 200g and chop the rest into small pieces.
9. Mix 300g ground pork, 200g minced shrimp, 1/2 tablespoon minced spring onion whites, 1/2 tablespoon minced shallot, 1 teaspoon minced ginger, 2 teaspoons seasoning powder, 1.5 teaspoons kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper, 1/2 teaspoon MSG, 2 teaspoons tapioca starch, 2 teaspoons sesame oil and 1 chicken egg. Work the mixture for about a minute, cover it tightly and freeze for 15 minutes.
10. Season the chopped shrimp with 1 teaspoon seasoning powder, 1 teaspoon kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and 1 teaspoon sesame oil.
11. Place the filling in the center of a wonton wrapper, spread it out, add a piece of shrimp, fold the wrapper in half and dab a little water so the edges seal.
12. Bring a pot of water to a boil with 1 tablespoon cooking oil, drop in the wontons in batches, and once they float, boil for another 3 to 4 minutes before lifting them out.
13. Blanch the fresh egg noodles for 1 to 2 minutes, then plunge them straight into cold water so the strands stay springy.
14. Dip the noodles quickly in boiling water again, put them in a bowl with sliced char siu and the wontons, ladle the broth over and top with spring onion, cilantro, garlic chives, pork crackling and fried shallots.

Tips

• Toasting the dried squid and dried shrimp before they go into the spice bag gives the broth aroma without a fishy edge.
• Skim continuously for the first 15 minutes, the stretch that decides whether the broth runs clear or cloudy.
• Boil the wontons in batches so the wrappers do not stick together or tear.
• kOBE Monk Fruit Blend dissolves slowly, so stir the pot after seasoning and wait a few minutes before tasting again.
• Cooling the blanched noodles in cold water and dipping them a second time keeps the strands springy and loose.
• Wonton wrappers and fresh egg noodles are sold ready made in Vietnamese markets and supermarkets.