Crispy Chilli Beef With Noodles Food

CRISPY CHILLI BEEF

Steps:

• Put 350g thin-cut minute steak strips in a bowl and toss in 3 tbsp cornflour and 2 tsp Chinese five-spice powder.
• Heat 100ml vegetable oil in a wok or large frying pan until hot, then add the beef and fry until golden and crisp.
• Scoop out the beef and drain on kitchen paper. Pour away all but 1 tbsp oil.
• Add 1 thinly sliced red pepper, ½ thinly sliced red chilli, sliced white ends of 4 spring onions, 2 crushed garlic cloves and thumb-sized piece ginger, cut into matchsticks, to the pan. Stir-fry for 3 mins to soften, but don't let the garlic and ginger burn.
• Mix the 4 tbsp rice wine vinegar or white wine vinegar, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce and 2 tbsp tomato ketchup in a jug with 2 tbsp water, then pour over the veg.
• Bubble for 2 mins, then add the beef back to the pan and toss well to coat.
• Serve the beef on noodles with prawn crackers, if you like, scattered with the remaining ½ sliced red chilli and sliced green parts of the spring onions.

NOODLES WITH CRISPY CHILLI OIL EGGS

Steps:

• To make the chilli oil, tip the shallots, garlic, cinnamon stick, star anise and oil into a wide pan (a deep frying pan is good), then bring to a gentle sizzle. Cook for 15-20 mins over a low-medium heat, stirring now and again, until the shallots and garlic are crisp and golden brown. They will burn easily if the heat is too high, so watch the pan.
• Meanwhile, toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan until golden, then tip into a bowl and set aside. Put the cumin seeds and Szechuan peppercorns in the pan and toast for 1-2 mins until aromatic. Tip into a pestle and mortar or spice grinder, and grind to a powder. Mix with the toasted sesame seeds.
• Add the ginger, chilli flakes, soy and sugar to the bowl with the toasted, ground spices. When the shallots and garlic are crisp, strain the oil over the bowl using a sieve. Leave the crispy bits of garlic and shallot in the sieve to cool and become even more crisp. Discard the cinnamon and star anise.
• Stir the cooled shallots and garlic through the spiced oil mixture. Will keep chilled for up to two weeks in an airtight, sterilised jar.
• When ready to make the noodles, heat the veg oil in a wok. Add the pak choi and stir-fry for a minute with a splash of water and a pinch of salt. Cover with a lid (or a baking tray if you don't have one). Steam for a minute, then lift the veg from the wok, letting any liquid drip off. Set aside on a plate. Put the vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil and sugar in the pan along with 2 tsp of the crispy chilli oil. Bring to a bubble, then add the noodles and toss for a few minutes over a high heat until the sauce is clinging to the noodles and they're soft and slippery. Divide the noodles between two bowls and put the pak choi on top.
• Wipe out the pan. Add another drizzle of the crispy chilli oil along with about 2 tsp of sediment from the jar. When sizzling, crack in the eggs and fry until crispy around the edge, spooning over the oil as they cook. Slide the fried eggs over the noodles, adding more crispy bits from the jar, if you like.

CHILLI AND GARLIC BEEF NOODLE STIR-FRY

Steps:

• Put noodles in a medium heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water and set aside for 2 minutes and then drain and separate the noodles and set aside.
• Put the sweet chilli sauce, lime juice and soy sauce in a small bowl, stir to combine and set aside.
• Brush a little oil over a large wok and heat on high until the wok is hot and then add half of the beef and stir fry for 2 minutes or until beef is almost cooked and then transfer to a plate.
• Brush the wok with a little more oil and reheat wok on high and repeat with remaining beef and then remove beef from wok and add to the first batch of beef.
• Brush the wok with remaining oil and heat on medium-high and add the capsicum, zucchini, mushroom, garlic, ginger and choy sum stalks and stir fry for 2 minutes and then add the water and choy sum leaves and cook covered tossing twice for 2 minutes or until the vegetables are just tender.
• Add noodles, beef and spring onion to the wok and toss to combine and then add the sauce and toss once more to combine and heat through.
• Top with coriander leaves to serve and accompany with lime wedges.