Carbonara, anyone? Italian favourite gets an Asian makeover

I use the word "Asian" loosely in this recipe because the dish is a mishmash of flavours from a variety countries. The pork belly seasonings can be Chinese or Japanese, the fried shallots are more of a Southeast Asian touch while the nori and shichimi togarashi (a dried chilli-flecked seven-spice mixture) are definitely Japanese.

Carbonara, of course, is an Italian dish, with a raw egg yolk stirred into hot pasta and guanciale (cured pork jowl) to create a rich, thick sauce that coats the ingredients.

This Asian carbonara by Susan Jung features pork belly, seaweed and raw egg.

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Fresh egg noodles usually come in bundles that weigh between 120 grams to 150 grams. I find 120 grams is plenty for me, but cook the amount that's appropriate for the appetites of those you are serving.

A dashi bag looks like a tea bag and contains dried bonito and kombu. Soak it in boiling hot water for a few minutes to make an umami-rich stock. If you don't have a dashi bag, use unsalted chicken broth or plain water.

The ingredients for Asian carbonara.

Cook for about 45 minutes, or until the pork is very tender. Check the consistency of the sauce: it should be glossy and sticky. If needed, simmer the ingredients, uncovered and stirring often, until the sauce lightly coats the meat. Remove the ginger and garlic cloves.

Chop the spring onions about 5mm thick.

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Bring a large pot of water to the boil, add the egg noodles and cook until done to your liking, then drain. Add the sesame oil and mix to coat the noodles. Divide the noodles between four bowls. Spoon the pork belly (with sauce) over the noodles, then add the spring onions and a small handful of shredded nori to each portion. Make an indentation in the centre of the noodles and add some fried shallots. Crack the eggs, separating the white from the yolk. (Reserve the egg whites for another use.)

Add the egg yolk to the centre of the bowl.

Put the egg yolk on top of the fried shallots in the centre of the bowl and sprinkle lightly with shichimi togarashi. Sprinkle some sesame seeds over the pork and serve immediately. Each diner should mix the ingredients thoroughly so the egg yolk and braised pork belly sauce combine to thickly coat the noodles.

This article originally appeared on the South China Morning Post (SCMP).

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