Ipoh Sar Hor Fun

Sar Hor Fun, one of the many well-known and liked dishes from the city of Ipoh in Perak. Ipoh is reputable for its hor fun (rice noodle). When talked about, these two often comes hand in hand, at least among the foodies.

But in my case, I'm absolutely sure that the rice noodle that I used is not from Ipoh. As such, I've decided, after the huge prep steps and tasting of my Ipoh sar hor fun, it's the broth that gives it character. And may I say, it's a very pleasing outcome :)

When my tummy is happy, it then makes me wonder, why is it called "sar hor fun" when the hor fun is (supposedly) very smooth? Isn't "sar" = sand in Cantonese?

Ipoh Sar Hor Fun
1 lb of fresh rice noodle
1 lb of shrimps, heads and shells on
2 whole chicken leg
Chinese chives, sectioned (I substituted with baby bak choy)
2 stalks of scallions, chopped

Chicken Broth:
3 whole chicken carcass
Shrimp's shell, removed from above shrimps
1/2 lb of soy bean sprouts
2 of 1 inch size rock sugar
1 tsp of whole white peppercorns, crushed
5 liters of water
salt to taste

Shrimp Oil:
1/2 cup of cooking oil
Shrimp's head, removed from above shrimps

Bring 1 liter of water to boil and blanched the shrimps until pink and cooked through. Remove and shock in ice water. Remove the heads and drain dry, to be used for frying with oil. Remove the shells for making chicken broth.
Bring water used to cook the shrimp to a rolling boil. Put in the chicken legs. When water comes back to a boil, let it simmer for 5 minutes and cover with lid. Turn off the heat and let chicken legs poach for 15 minutes. Remove and shred when cooled.
Rinse the chicken carcass and place them in a stock pot. Add in the rest of the chicken broth ingredients, together with the water used for cooking the shrimps and chicken legs. Bring to boil. Reduce to low heat and cook for approximately 1 - 2 hours. Season with salt and strain the broth. Set aside.
Heat up cooking oil in a preheated wok. Place in the shrimp heads. Stir fry over low heat until shrimp oil separates. Remove from heat and strain well.
Pour some shrimp oil into the chicken stock.
Blanch hor fun and chinese chives in boiling water separately. Dish up and drain.
To assemble, place hor fun into a serving bowl. Add in blanched Chinese chives, shredded chicken, and shrimps. Serve with hot chicken broth, add in a little shrimp oil and chopped scallions.
Add zing: Serve with fried sambal or chopped red chillies in soy sauce.