DAN DAN NOODLES

What you do

First make the sauce- Whisk the peanut butter and light soy sauce together in a bowl until fully incorporated. Add the Shaoxing vinegar. Continue stirring until mixed. Then mix in the garlic, green onion, honey, and Sichuan peppercorns.

Next, prepare the pork- Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add the pork. Cook and stir until the surface is lightly browned.

Turn to medium heat. Add the ginger, green onion, fermented black beans, preserved mustard greens, Shaoxin wine, and sugar. Cook and chop the pork into small pieces, until all the liquid has evaporated and the pork turns a dark brown color. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

For the noodles and greens- Cook according to instructions, and briefly blanch the leafy green vegetables, drain, and set aside.

To assemble- for each noodle bowl, add 1/4 of the noodle sauce and add the chili oil according to your taste. Add ¼ of the noodles, then top with a few spoonfuls of the cooked pork and green veggies. Garnish with peanuts and chopped spring onion. Sprinkle with a pinch of toasted ground Sichuan peppercorn, if you like the numbing taste. Serve hot or cold.

Serves 4

Ingredients

Noodle Sauce

100g peanut butter

100ml soy sauce

2 tablespoons Shaoxing Vinegar

4 cloves garlic, pasted

2 spring onions, trimmed and finely chopped

2 tablespoons honey

½ – 1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns

Pork Topping

1 tablespoon peanut oil

400g minced pork

1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger

2 spring onions

1½ tablespoons fermented black beans, rinsed and chopped

50g preserved mustard greens

2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine, or dry sherry

½ teaspoon sugar

To Assemble

100g roasted peanuts, chopped

400g Dan Dan noodles

2 bok choy, choy Sum or 200g spinach

1 tablespoon chilli oil to finish

Chopped peanuts and spring onion to finish