Dan Dan Noodles With Pickled Mustard Greens Food

DAN DAN NOODLES

Steps:

• Mix all ingredients except oil and chicken stock. Then gently stir in oil and stock - oil should be sitting on surface. Set aside.
• Mix together hoisin, soy, Chinese wine and five spice ("Sauce").
• Heat oil in a skillet or wok over high heat. Add pork and cook, breaking it up as you, until it changes from pink to white. Add Sauce and cook for 1 minute, then transfer into a bowl.
• Return skillet to stove, reduce to medium heat. Add oil into middle of skillet.
• Add Sui mi ya cai and stir for 30 seconds, just to warm through. Set aside.
• Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Cook noodles per packet directions.
• Add choi sum for last 1 minute of cooking.
• Drain.
• Ladle 1/4 of Dan Dan Sauce into a bowl. Pile in noodles, top with pork and Sui mi ya cai. Place choi sum on side.
• Sprinkle with peanuts and green onions and serve.
• To eat, mix it all up to coat the noodles well with Sauce, then devour!

DAN-DAN NOODLES

Steps:

• For the chile oil: Heat the oil, Sichuan peppercorns, cinnamon stick and star anise in a small pot over medium-low heat until it reaches 325 degrees F, then remove from the heat and let sit for 5 minutes. Remove the peppercorns, cinnamon stick, and star anise with a slotted spoon and discard, then stir in the crushed red pepper flakes. Set the oil aside to cool.
• For the sauce: Whisk together the soy sauce, sesame paste, sugar, five-spice powder, Sichuan peppercorns, garlic and 1/4 cup of the chile oil in a medium bowl. Whisk in 1/3 cup hot water and set aside.
• For the noodles: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the noodles according to the package directions, adding the bok choy, if using, for the last minute of cooking time. Drain in a colander and rinse well under cold running water to stop the cooking process. Toss the noodles with 1 teaspoon of the reserved chile oil and set aside.
• Heat 3 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil in a seasoned wok over high heat until shimmering. Add the pork and cook, stirring and breaking it up with a spoon, until it is browned, about 5 minutes. Add the Shaoxing wine, hoisin sauce and dark soy sauce and cook until all the liquid is evaporated and the pork is crispy, about 3 minutes. Add the sui mi ya cai, if using, and cook until it starts to sizzle, about 2 minutes. (Otherwise, remove from the heat after the pork is crispy.) Remove from the heat and add the reserved noodles and sauce to the wok, tossing well to coat. Place in a serving bowl, top with scallions and serve immediately.

DAN DAN NOODLES

Steps:

• In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook noodles according to package instructions. Add greens 1 minute before the noodles are ready. Drain, rinse under cool water, and drain again. Divide noodles and greens between 2 bowls.
• Mix pork with five-spice powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Heat oil over high in a large skillet. Add pork in 1 layer and fry, breaking up pieces with a wooden spoon, until crisped and beginning to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Add ginger, garlic, and scallions and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Stir in wine, soy sauce, and tahini, scraping up any browned bits from bottom of pan. Add chicken stock. Cook until thickened slightly, about 4 minutes. Divide pork mixture evenly between the bowls. Drizzle generously with chili oil and sprinkle with peanuts and scallions. Mix thoroughly before eating.

DAN DAN NOODLES WITH PICKLED MUSTARD GREENS

Steps:

• Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. In a small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce with the brandy, hoisin sauce and cornstarch. Blend the mixture into the ground pork.
• In a small bowl, whisk the sesame paste with the vinegar and the remaining 2 tablespoons of soy sauce until smooth. In a small saucepan, heat the chili and sesame oils. Add the garlic and cook over high heat for 30 seconds. Add the sesame paste mixture and simmer for 1 minute. Add the stock and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, until reduced slightly, about 3 minutes.
• In a small skillet, heat the vegetable oil. Add the seasoned ground pork and cook over moderately high heat, breaking up the meat with a spatula, until cooked through, about 3 minutes. Cover the skillet and remove from the heat.
• Add the bok choy to the boiling water and cook until bright green, about 10 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bok choy to 4 small bowls. Cook the noodles in the boiling water until al dente, about 3 minutes. Drain well and transfer to the bowls. Pour the sauce over the noodles and spoon the ground pork on top. Garnish with the pickled mustard greens and scallions and serve.

DAN DAN NOODLES

Steps:

• Heat the neutral oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat. Add the pork, salt and pepper. Using a wooden spoon, break up the pork into smaller pieces and cook until browned and the pork is no longer pink, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Deglaze with the cooking wine, scraping any brown bits from the bottom of the skillet. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the soy sauce. Stir to combine and cook until fragrant, 20 to 30 seconds. Add the bok choy, season with salt and cook until bright green, the leaves are wilted and the stems are tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Keep warm while you cook the noodles.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the noodles and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the noodles with a spider or tongs and place directly into the bowl with the Peanut Sauce. Toss to combine, adding 1 tablespoon reserved pasta water at a time, as needed, to reach desired consistency.
• To assemble, plate the noodles. Top with the pork and bok choy mixture. Garnish with a drizzle of the Chile Oil and the chopped peanuts.
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the chile oil, peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey and a couple turns of black pepper until smooth. Set aside.
• Heat the oil and Sichuan peppercorns in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until the peppercorns start to sizzle and become fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. In a small jar, combine the red chile pepper powder and salt. When the oil is hot, pour over the red chile and allow to sit and steep for a few minutes. Set aside.

VEGAN DAN DAN NOODLES WITH EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Make the sauce: Combine the soy sauce, black or rice vinegar, tahini, garlic, ginger, chile oil and granulated sugar in a bowl, and whisk to combine. Set aside.
• Slice the eggplant crosswise into ¾-inch-thick circles, then cut each circle into 1½- to 2-inch pieces. (They should be quite chunky.)
• Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the noodles and cook according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water, then drain the noodles, rinse just for a few seconds to remove some of the starchy water (they should still be hot), and allow them to drain.
• Meanwhile, cook the eggplant: Heat a wok or large, deep-sided skillet over medium-high. When hot, add 2 tablespoons of neutral oil along with the eggplant, soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of salt and a pinch of black pepper, and toss well to combine. Cover with a lid and cook for 6 to 7 minutes, tossing every 60 seconds. If it starts to burn, reduce the heat to medium. The eggplant is ready when it is caramelized and cooked all the way through but still intact. (Don't let it get mushy.) Remove the lid, sprinkle with the ground Sichuan peppercorns (if using), the white parts of the scallions and the sugar, and season with ½ teaspoon of salt and a pinch of black pepper. Toss for 30 seconds and then turn off the heat.
• Add the reserved noodle cooking water to the bowl of sauce and whisk to combine. Divide the sauce among four serving bowls.
• Divide the noodles among the four bowls, on top of the sauce. Finish each bowl with eggplant, scallion greens, a few cilantro leaves and some peanuts.
• To eat, toss everything together so that the noodles and eggplant are well coated in the sauce. Serve topped with chile oil or crisp.

DAN DAN MIAN (DAN DAN NOODLES)

Steps:

• Heat a large wok over high heat until a bead of water dances on the surface and then evaporates. Add the peanut oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the ginger, garlic, and green onions and cook, stirring, just until fragrant. Add the pork and the preserved vegetable and stir until the meat loses its raw color, about 1 minute. Add the wine and cook for a few seconds to evaporate the alcohol and then add ½ cup of the chicken broth, soy sauce, chile oil, and vinegar. Bring the liquid to a boil and remove from heat.
• Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Remove the noodles from their packaging and fluff the strands to separate. Add the noodles to the boiling water. Let the pot come back up to a boil, then add the 2 cups cold water. Bring to a boil again and immediately drain the noodles. Shake the colander to drain the noodles well and then divide the noodles between the individual serving bowls.
• Top each serving of noodles with some spicy pork mixture and ladle over a bit of the remaining hot chicken broth. Place some of the blanched spinach on one side of the noodles and sprinkle with the chopped nuts and a little ground Sichuan peppercorns. Serve immediately.