Cheesy shrimp yi mian

Peel the shrimp, removing the digestive tract while pulling off the heads, and reserve the heads and shells.

Deslime the shrimp under running water about ten minutes, or soak them in water with a splash of kanzhui for ten minutes and rinse thoroughly.

Dry the shrimp thoroughly, blotting then rolling them up tight in paper towels, repeating if needed.

Optionally butterfly the shrimp for presentation.

Marinate the shrimp with the salt, sugar, white pepper powder and liaojiu, then coat with the peanut oil.

Long yao the wok, add about a third of a cup of oil and heat over a high flame to faint wisps of smoke, about 185 centigrade.

Fry the shrimp about 45 seconds until cooked, take them out to drain and reserve the frying oil.

In a swirl of peanut oil over a medium flame, fry the smashed garlic, onion chunks and optional celery about a minute until fragrant.

Add the shrimp heads and shells and fry until they change colour.

Swirl in brandy.

Pour in enough water to submerge the shrimp, bring to a boil, skim, then simmer covered one hour.

Strain the stock, getting every reasonable drop, and split it into three quarters of a cup for the noodles and three quarters for the cheese sauce.

Melt the butter over a medium low flame, fry the minced garlic about one minute until fragrant, then add the bay leaf and fry briefly.

Swirl in the brandy, add three quarters of a cup of stock and bring to a rapid boil.

Add the milk powder, mix, and turn down to a simmer.

Add the milk, then the grated parmesan, the quarter cube of furu and the sheet cheese, and melt everything in.

Thicken with a slurry of the tapioca starch and milk, sprinkle in the seasoning and remove the bay leaf.

Bring the other three quarters of a cup of stock to a boil with the chicken bouillon powder, salt, sugar and white pepper powder.

Add the parboiled noodles and toss until all the stock is absorbed.

Optionally add jiu huang chopped into two inch sections and toasted over a medium flame a minute or two.

Shut off the heat, add about 80% of the cheese sauce and toss, then a tablespoon of the shrimp frying oil for sheen.

Spread the rest of the sauce on the serving plate, transfer the noodles, top with the fried shrimp and optionally dried shrimp roe and more jiu huang.