A Noodles Fix.

If you had asked me what my favourite carb was a year ago, bread would have been my answer, straight off the bat.

But somewhere within the last year, slowly but surely, something in me ticked. Before I even realized it, I was having minced meat noodles for lunch on a more regular basis and ramen became a favourite luxury (at almost 20 bucks a bowl) of mine.

It was as though my brain had suddenly fathomed that noodles could be really delicious and wanted to make up for lost time by consuming it as much as possible. (Okayyy, my being a little better at handling noodles with chopsticks might have something to do with it as well.)

So when I came across a recipe for a bowl of Chinese noodles on Jamie Oliver’s 20 Minute Meals app for the iPhone, I just had to make it, stat.

Dan dan noodles, as I came to learn through the glorious wonders of the Internet, is a classic noodle dish originating from Sze Chuan in China, which explains the use of sze chuan peppercorns in the dish. Typically made with preserved vegetables and minced pork, Jamie Oliver’s recipe calls for fresh vegetables and beef sweetened with a little honey.

The result, which not quite as authentic as what one would find in Sze Chuan, is an incredible smorgasbord of textures and flavours.

The mild heat both from the chili oil and crushed sze chuan peppercorns and sourness from the freshly squeezed lime juice against the hint of sweetness from the honey and saltiness from chicken stock just played out perfectly. And the springiness of the fresh egg noodles against the crunch of the xiao bai cai (more commonly known as chinese chard) and spring onions just took the dish up a notch.

This dish had my little sister’s, who spent six months studying and travelling through China, nod of approval, adding that she much preferred this version to the authentic Sze Chuan one.

So although authenticity might not quite be this dish’s forte, deliciousness is completely right up its alley. And while I’m still on my noodles kick, you can bet this goes right on my ‘To Repeat Until I Can’t Even Look At It’ list.

Dan Dan Noodles [adapted from Jamie Oliver's 20 Minute Meals]

Note: I halved the amount of honey and omitted the 2 tablespoon of dark soy sauce the recipe calls for and found the dish to be a perfect balance of flavours. So I would advise that you use the honey sparingly and taste as you for or you might end up with really sweet beef. Also, while we’re on the beef, try be patient and let it fry until it get crisp- on the verge of charring in places even if you really wanna push it- it really makes such a difference to the dish. Oh, one last thing, scary as Sze Chuan peppercorn sound given their notorious reputation for being fiery spicy, they really work in this dish and while you do feel a bit of heat, it really is pretty mild and really works with the other flavours. So, be brave and you’ll be duly rewarded : ) 

Ingredients
200g minced beef
1 tsp honey
1 cube of chicken stock
3 dried red chilies
Half a head of garlic, peeled and minced roughly
2 tbsp Sze Chuan peppercorns, crushed
1 small bunch of spring onions, finely chopped
2 large handfuls of dried or fresh egg noodles
2 tbsp of vegetable oil
1 bunch of bok choy, cut into quarters lengthwise
Pinch of salt
1 lime, quartered

1. To make chili oil Heat a wok over high heat. Crumble the dried chilies in and toast for a minute. Lower the heat to medium and add the vegetable oil. Let the chilies infuse in the hot oil for a couple of minutes. Transfer the chilies and most of the oil in a small bowl and set aside.
2. In the same wok, fry the minced beef on medium heat until crispy. Add the honey, stir well and set aside.
3. To make the broth Bring a small pot of water to boil. Add the crumbed cube of chicken stock and a pinch of salt. Bring the chicken stock to a boil until the cube has dissolved. Add the egg noodles in, stirring well, cooking until just tender. Strain the noodles, reserving a cup of the chicken stock.
4. Return the noodles and stock to the pot over medium heat. Add the minced garlic, crushed sze chuan peppercorns, chopped spring onions and bok choy. Stir them all together and cook for a minute or until everything is heated through. Transfer the noodles to the serving bowls and top with the minced beef, chili oil and a wedge of lime. Serves 2

Posted by thecoffeesnob on March 5, 2011

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