My husband grew up to a family tradition of starting birthdays with a bowl of misua for longevity. It's a Birthday Misua recipe I learned from my Mom-in-Law, which she learned from her Mom-in-Law. It's a family legacy that is now a part of birthday celebrations of the 4th generation! Some friends have been asking how it's prepared, so I made sure that I document it the next time I made it.
I made a few minor revisions from the original recipe: I've replaced dried shrimp (hibe) with fresh suahe, whole pork leg with sliced pork leg, and chicken breast to chicken leg quarters. Here are the ingredients for a preparation good for 8-10 servings:- 1 box of birthday egg misua
- 1 pack of dried Shiitake mushrooms (approximately 15 big pieces)
- 1/4 kg of medium-sized white shrimp or suahe
- 1/2 kg of pork leg slice or pata slice
- 2 pcs of chicken leg quarters
- 7 eggs, medium-sized
- spring onions
- adobo peanuts
- 1 bulb of onion
- 4 tsps of salt
- pepper corn
- a piece of ginger, skinned and sliced
- 1/2 cup of soy sauce
- cooking oil
Since this is a noodle dish that is eaten as the birthday celebrant's first meal to ensure blessings of longevity, make sure that you have at least a 3-hour lead time for preparing, especially if you are doing it on your own. I personally prefer to prepare some of the elements the night before so I won't have to wake up too early. ;-) I'll share the preparation in parts, based on how I do it. Be ready to wash a lot of pots and pans after!
NIGHT BEFORE
• Boil pork leg slices in a pot of water with 2 tsps of salt, 1/2 bulb of onion sliced, and some pepper corns for 1 hour over medium fire. Do NOT throw away the pork broth, as we will use this for the noodles. Set aside the pork to cool before shredding the meat. Place shredded meat in a serving bowl.
• Boil chicken leg quarters in a separate pot of water with 2 tsps of salt, 1/2 bulb of onion sliced, and some pepper corns for 40 minutes over medium fire. Set aside the chicken to cool before shredding the meat. Place shredded meat in a serving bowl.
• Soak the dried Shiitake mushrooms in a bowl of water overnight to rehydrate. Shiitake mushrooms also symbolize longevity in Asia.
BIRTHDAY MORNING
SHIITAKE & SHRIMP
• Drain the water from the Shiitake mushrooms. Slice the mushroom c aps (the part that looks like an umbrella), removing the stem and some of the tough parts. It'll be very makunat to chew so I don't include it anymore. Set aside in a colander to drain some more.
• Remove the shrimp's shell, legs, and head. Slice into 1-inch pieces. Set aside.
• Chop up 2 thumb-sized pieces of ginger.
• In a big frying pan or casserole, pour some cooking oil to cover the bottom of the pan or pot. Sauté the ginger until fragrant. Add the Shiitake mushroom slices and sauté until the water from the mushroom is reduced. The mushrooms ideal texture is chewy and not soggy. Add the soy sauce, 1/3 cup of the pork broth, and shrimps and mix. Cover the pan and let it simmer until the mushrooms are chewy. It takes me around 10-15 minutes. Remove excess water and serve in a bowl.
EGGS
• Cook hard boiled eggs. I usually cook 5 eggs, but you can cook as many as you want. Put some water in a pot, place the raw eggs gently and put over medium fire. Once the water is boiling (which takes around 10-15 minutes), the eggs are cooked. This is a technique I learned from my parents. Set aside the boiled eggs in a serving bowl.
• Beat the remaining 2 eggs to make scrambled eggs. Fry in a bit of cooking oil. Slice into strips. Set aside in a serving bowl.
BIRTHDAY MISUA
• Fill a large pot with water, add some salt, and a teaspoon of cooking oil. Bring it to a rolling boil. Add the misua and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally to loosen the strands. Add the pork broth and simmer for another minute, or until the misua is al denté. Drain thoroughly before serving.
GARNISH
• Chop up some spring onion to garnish, place in a serving bowl.
• Put some adobo peanuts in a serving bowl.
SERVE IT ALL UP!
It is customary to give the first serving to the birthday celebrant. Artfully place all the ingredients and it's a build-your-own-misua for everyone!
#DomesticGoddessMNL