Dan Dan Sesame Noodles 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 SESAME NOODLES

Steps:

• Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil, add the noodles, and cook about 5 to 6 minutes, or until near-tender, drain in a colander, rinse lightly to remove the starch, and drain again thoroughly in a colander. Arrange the cooked noodles in the bottom of a large serving bowl.
• Arrange the carrots, bean sprouts, and minced scallion greens in separate concentric circles on top of the noodles. Spoon the Spicy Sesame Dressing on top or serve on the side.
• Spicy Sesame Dressing: Drop the seasonings of the Spicy Sesame Dressing in descending order into the feed tube of a food processor fitted with a steel blade while the machine is running. Mix together to a smooth sauce- it should be the consistency of heavy cream.

DAN DAN NOODLES

Steps:

• Place the peanut butter, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, black vinegar, and chili oil into the bowl of a mini-food processor. Process until the mixture is well combined and forms a paste, 1 to 2 minutes. With the processor running, gradually add the chicken broth and process until the sauce is creamy and well combined, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a large mixing bowl, cover, and set aside while you prepare the rest of the dish.
• Place 4 quarts water into a large pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the noodles and cook until al dente, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Drain thoroughly in a colander. Add the noodles to the bowl with the sauce and toss to combine. Serve topped with the peanuts and scallions.

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:

• 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.

DAN-DAN MEIN (SZECHUAN SESAME SAUCE NOODLES)

Steps:

• Make the ginger-garlic water.
• Fry the Red-Pepper flakes in oil. This creates smoke if done in a frying pan, so cover it up or else do it with less oil in the microwave. Just buy the pre-made pepper flakes in oil at the Chinese supermarket to save a step.
• Chinese sesame paste (ji ma jiang) or Middle-Eastern tahini sauce is normally used. Peanut butter may be substituted if you can't find sesame paste. It's not the same, but it'll do.
• Pre-ground Szechuan peppercorns *might* be available at the Chinese supermarket. I haven't looked for it because I make it myself. It's called "Hua jiao fen". The peppercorns are called "Hua jiao".
• Each person can assemble their own noodles using the below toppings. A mound of shredded cucumbers makes it even more delicious.
• 1 serving noodles.
• 1-2 tbsp Ginger-Garlic Water.
• 2 tsp chili flake oil.
• 2 tbsp sesame paste.
• 1 tbsp scallions.
• 1 big pinch roasted Szechuan peppercorn powder.
• Add soy sauce, 1/2 tsp black rice vinegar, and sugar to taste. Add one tbsp shredded Szechuan preserved vegetables or a mound of cucumbers. The Szechuan vegetables is the authentic way --.
• Bon appetit or "Duo chi".