Cannabis-Infused Taiwanese Oyster Mee Sua
The new Street Food documentary on Netflix has been my jam these past few days. It hits me in all the feels while making me hungry and nostalgic. When talking about Taiwanese street food, one of my favorites has to be Taiwanese Oyster Mee Sua (aka Orh-Ah Mee-Sua or 蚵仔麵線.) It’s a humble dish of soft Mee Sua, or wheat vermicelli, in a savory seafood broth chock full of plump oysters.
Street vendors often add braised pig intestines in the broth but when making it at home mom and I prefer using Chinese fish balls with squid legs, often found in the frozen section at the Asian grocery stores. The experience of eating this Taiwanese Oyster Mee Sua is textural—thick broth, soft noodles, firm oysters, crisp bites of bamboo shoots, sharp vinegar, and bouncy (the Taiwanese like to call this texture ‘QQ’) fish balls.
This recipe makes a large serving for about 10. I love eating this for breakfast or an afternoon snack so it lasts about a week in the my fridge. When serving, add a little spoonful of Sous Weed chili oil for an extra kick!
Cannabis-Infused Taiwanese Oyster Mee Sua
Serves 8-10
Ingredients:
• 1 piece dried cuttlefish
• 6 cups water
• 6 cups chicken broth, I used Roli Roti’s Chicken Bone Broth
• 2 thumbs ginger, sliced
• 1 head garlic, cut in half, skin on
• 30 shucked oysters, I used Chelsea Gems from Real Oyster Cult
• 2 Tbsp sweet potato starch
• 1/2 cup shaved bonito
• 1 Tbsp ground white peppercorn
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 2 Tbsp rice wine
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1/3 cup fried shallots
• 30 Chinese fish balls, I prefer the ones with squid pieces
• 1 can boiled, shredded bamboo shoots, or fresh if you can find it
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1 package (200g) mee sua noodles
• 1/4 cup cornstarch, whisked with 1/2 cup water to make a slurry
To Finish:
• 2 Tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1/4 cup black vinegar
• 4 red Thai chilies, chopped
• Sous Weed Chinese Chili Oil
• Fresh cilantro, rough chop
Directions:
1. Soak dried cuttlefish in hot water while you prepare your stockpot.
2. In a large stockpot, add water, chicken broth, sliced ginger, and head of garlic. Cover and bring to a rolling boil. Add soaked cuttlefish and turn the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes.
3. Pat oysters dry on a paper towel and toss in a bowl of sweet potato starch until covered.
4. Using a fine mesh strainer, quickly blanch oysters in the simmering pot for 20 seconds, remove, and shock in ice water to stop the cooking. Strain and set oysters aside for assembly.
5. Turn the heat off for the stockpot. Add shaved bonito, white peppercorn, ground coriander into the stock and let it sit for 5 minutes.
6. Using the fine mesh strainer, remove all solids out of the stock and discard. Turn the heat back to medium-high.
7. Add rice wine, soy sauce, fried shallots, fish balls, bamboo shoots, shredded carrots, and bring to a boil. Add the mee sua noodles to the stock and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.
8. Add the cornstarch slurry to the stockpot, stirring frequently until the stock thickens. Turn the heat to low and simmer for another 5 minutes. If it’s too thick, add more water. Add salt to taste.
9. To make the black vinegar sauce: In a bowl, add oyster sauce, soy sauce, black vinegar, and chopped chilies. Stir to combine.
10. To serve: Fill serving bowls with the mee sua, top with poached oysters, a drizzle of spicy black vinegar, a small spoonful of Sous Weed Chili Oil, and a handful of fresh cilantro.
