Recipe: Dan dan noodles
Dumplings and noodles, wontons, fluffy stuffed buns and bowls of steaming ramen… We love Asian comfort food! But how can you easily make these dishes yourself? In her new book Dumplings & Noodles, Pippa Middlehurst explains the techniques step by step (with accompanying photos) and teaches you, among other things, how to make different types of noodles, such as these dan dan noodles.
Pippa: “This is probably my favorite noodle recipe. I say this about many dishes, but I really think this one is. It is also one of my oldest recipes, one I have been making time and time again for years. The creation of this recipe has been an organic process, which means that the recipe has changed slightly over time and has truly become my own. Both the appearance and the composition are different from a dan dan mian (mian means noodles) that you would be served in a restaurant or on the street in a city in Szechuan, but the essence is the same. I think you could call this dish my signature dish.”
How to make the dan dan noodles
- Start by cooking the noodles until al dente. Drain the noodles, reserve a little cooking water, rinse them with plenty of cold water until they have completely cooled (this prevents them from sticking together) and set them aside.
- Make the sauce. In a small bowl, gradually mix the sesame paste (or tahini) with the peanut butter, light soy sauce, Chinkiang rice vinegar and 2 tablespoons of the reserved noodle cooking water. Sesame paste has a fairly firm consistency and is difficult to dissolve, but keep stirring. I use the back of a fork to mash the sesame paste into the liquid ingredients. Add the remaining sauce ingredients once the sesame paste has been incorporated. You can add more chili oil if you want more heat. Set the sauce aside.
- Heat the neutral-flavored oil in a heavy-based frying pan or wok over high heat. Let the minced meat caramelize and brown for 1 minute without stirring. Stir-fry the meat for 5 to 6 minutes until browned all over.
- Add the Chinese five-spice powder and fry for 30 seconds. Deglaze with the Shaoxing rice wine, add the sweet bean sauce (or hoisin), soy sauce and black pepper. Mix well, turn the heat down and cook everything for another 2 minutes.
- Assemble the bowls by pouring 50 ml of warm chicken stock or water into each bowl. Then pour half of the sauce into each bowl and mix it with the stock or water. Top with half of the cooked noodles and the sliced vegetables, followed by half of the meat mixture. Finally, sprinkle both bowls with a tablespoon of chopped peanuts, a tablespoon of pickled mustard greens, the spring onions and radishes (if using). Mix and enjoy!
Title: Dumplings & Noodles
Author: Pippa Middlehurst
Price: €22.50
Publisher: Good Cook
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