Shredded Chicken Noodles

80g dried cuttlefish

100g dried anchovies

100g dried shiitake

1kg chicken backbone

1kg fish bones

300g prawn heads and shells

40g acacia bark

3 star anise

2 Chinese black cardamom

50g old ginger, skinned and sliced

2 whole garlic bulbs

80g rock sugar

1.6kg whole chicken

5 tablespoons black rice vinegar

4 tablespoons light soya sauce

2 tablespoons dark soya sauce

Salt, to taste

80g shallots, sliced

500g fresh egg noodles

150g bean sprouts

4 hard-boiled eggs

Spring onions, sliced thinly Chinese celery, chopped finely Red chillies, sliced thinly

1. Wash dried anchovies and cuttlefish briefly in water then leave to dry. Soak dried shiitake in warm water till soft; keep the water to add to the stock. In a stockpot, bring five litres of water to boil.

2. Wash and clean the chicken bones, fish bones and prawn shells. Ensure that the blood from the fish bones are removed. Place the prawn heads and shells in a saucepan and fry till most of the liquid has evaporated; take caution not to burn them.

3. Once dry, add one litre of water and boil till 500ml is left. Add the chicken and fish bones when the water in the stockpot starts to boil. Next, place the black cardamom, star anise, acacia bark, dried anchovies and dried cuttlefish in a muslin cloth bag and put into the pot.

4. Next, add the ginger slices, dried mushrooms and garlic bulbs in the pot. Lastly, add the rock sugar. In 30 minutes, turn the heat to medium and continuously remove the scum from the pot. Keep cooking till the liquid is reduced by half.

5. Turn the heat to low and add the whole chicken and cook till done, around 40 minutes.

6. Remove the chicken from the stock, debone the chicken and add the bones back into the stockpot and cook till the liquid has halved. Remove the mushrooms and slice for later.

7. Next, sift out any bones and impurities and add the prawn liquid to the stock, followed by the black rice vinegar, light soya and dark soya and let it simmer for 20 minutes.

8. Season with salt to taste. The gravy should be savoury, slightly sour and sweet. Meanwhile, shred the chicken with two forks and mix the light and dark meats together. Fry the sliced shallots till crisp and fragrant.

9. Prepare a pot of boiling water for blanching the bean sprouts and noodles.

Blanch the bean sprouts for 15 seconds and dunk in cold water.

10. Next, blanch the noodles for two minutes. Remove and immediately place under running water until cooled.

11. Place the bean sprouts in a serving bowl with the noodles on top. Pour the gravy onto the noodles till half-filled.

12. Return the gravy to the pot and repeat twice, before topping up the gravy. Add the shredded chicken, sliced mushrooms, halved hard-boiled eggs and garnish with fried shallots, Chinese celery and spring onions. Served with sliced chillies.