蚵仔麵線 — Print Recipe — The Culinary Codex

A thick, starchy soup of ultra-thin wheat vermicelli and plump oysters in a bonito-and-vinegar-laced broth, slurped from a bowl as one of Taiwan's most beloved street-side comfort foods.

Ingredients

150g thin wheat vermicelli (mee sua)
200g fresh oysters
600ml bonito or seafood stock
2 tbsp sweet potato starch mixed with 3 tbsp water
2 tbsp black vinegar
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
Cilantro, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
Chili sauce (optional)

Instructions

1 Bring stock to a boil. Add soy sauce and sugar.
2 Coat oysters lightly in sweet potato starch. Gently lower them into the simmering broth and cook 2 minutes until just set.
3 Add the vermicelli noodles (they are pre-cooked, so they only need 2 minutes to soften).
4 Stir in the remaining starch-water slurry gradually until the broth thickens to a porridge-like consistency.
5 Add black vinegar and stir gently.
6 Ladle into bowls. Top with minced garlic, cilantro, and chili sauce to taste.

Did You Know?

Taiwanese oyster vermicelli is always served in small bowls because it is meant to be a quick, standing-up snack — most vendors expect you to slurp it down in under five minutes.