Chings Midnight Dan Dan Noodles Recipes

CAFé CHINA'S DAN DAN NOODLES

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to boil for the noodles.
• Prepare the chile oil: In a medium skillet, heat the 1/2 cup oil over high. Add the ginger, star anise, red-pepper flakes, ground chile, fennel seeds, cloves and cinnamon to a medium heatproof bowl. Once the oil is shimmering, about 3 to 5 minutes, pour it over the spices. (The mixture will bubble vigorously.) Set aside for 10 minutes. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing to extract as much seasoned oil as possible. Makes 1/3 cup chile oil.
• Prepare the pork: In a wok or nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil over high. Add the pork and cook, breaking it up the pork and stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until browned and cooked through, about 4 minutes. Add the suimiyacai and stir quickly until just combined. Set aside. (The goal here is simply to integrate the mustard greens; there is no need to cook them.)
• Once chile oil has cooled, whisk in the soy sauce, sesame paste and Maggi seasoning. Set out four individual serving bowls, and add 2 tablespoons of chile sauce to each.
• Once the water boils, add the snow pea shoots to blanch just until wilted, about 1 minute, then use a slotted spoon to transfer them to a bowl. Add noodles to the boiling water and cook until just softened and tender, about 4 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water just to cool slightly.
• Using tongs, divide the noodles and pea shoots among the bowls. (It's OK if the noodles are dripping some water; a little extra moisture is ideal so the noodles remain glossy but not sticky.) Top each with pork mixture, sprinkle with sliced scallions and serve immediately.
• Mix the noodles to coat with chile sauce before eating, and serve with additional sauce at the table.

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.

CHING'S MIDNIGHT DAN DAN NOODLES

Steps:

• For the noodles: Bring a large pot of water to boil over high heat. Add the noodles and salt, stir, and cook until al dente, about 4 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse with cold water, and then shake out any excess water and transfer to a bowl. Pour the sesame oil over the noodles and toss well to coat.
• For the toppings: Heat a wok over high heat until smoking and pour in the peanut oil. Add the ginger, chiles and garlic and stir-fry for 30 seconds, and then add the ground beef and cook, breaking up the meat with a spatula, until browned, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Stir in the cornichons, sesame paste, soy sauce, rice wine, vinegar and peppercorns and cook until the beef begins to crisp. Season with white pepper and remove from the heat.
• For the garnish: Mix together the chili oil, sesame oil, soy, peppercorns and chiles in a small bowl.
• To serve, divide the noodles among 6 deep soup bowls and sprinkle the meat topping evenly over each. Pour the hot stock evenly over the noodles, and serve with the chili oil mixture, scallions and cilantro alongside at the table for garnishing.