Crisp Cooked Noodles Recipes

CRISP COOKED NOODLES

Steps:

• Place mushrooms in a medium bowl. Cover with 2 cups hot water. Let soak until soft, about 20 minutes. Drain. Strain liquid through a fine sieve; reserve 2 cups liquid. Remove, and discard mushroom stems. Slice caps into thin strips; set aside.
• Lightly coat an 8-inch round cake pan with sesame oil; set aside. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the noodles, and cook until just tender, about 4 minutes for fresh and 7 minutes for dried. Drain. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil, and toss to combine. Transfer noodles to prepared cake pan; let stand until cool.
• In a medium bowl, combine remaining cup water, reserved mushroom liquid, 1 1/2 tablespoons sake, oyster sauce, soy sauce, remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil, and pepper. Whisk to combine. Add 2 tablespoons cornstarch mixture. Stir to combine; set aside.
• Heat a wok or large skillet. Add 1 tablespoon safflower oil, and heatuntil hot, about 20 seconds. Add noodles, maintaining their shape, and cook until browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip noodles, and cook until the other side is browned. Transfer to a platter, and keep warm.
• Add remaining tablespoon safflower oil, and heat about 20 seconds. Add the reserved mushrooms, the garlic, and ginger and stir-fry until fragrant, about 20 seconds. Add the leeks and carrots. Stir-fry for 1 minute.
• Add the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons sake, and cook 1 minute more. Add the mushroom liquid mixture, and bring to a boil. Stir in about half of the remaining cornstarch mixture, and cook, stirring, until thickened. If needed, add additional cornstarch mixture until desired consistency is achieved. Stir in bean sprouts. Spoon vegetables over noodles; serve immediately.

CHILE-OIL NOODLES WITH CILANTRO

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook noodles according to package instructions, stirring from time to time to prevent them from sticking. Drain well in a colander, then run noodles under cold water until cooled.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine all three oils with the soy sauce and 1/2 cup garlic chives.
• Toss cooled noodles into the chile oil mixture. Gently fold in the crumbled fried shallots and chopped cilantro. Divide among four bowls, and top with more garlic chives and cilantro sprigs.

SPICY RICE NOODLES WITH CRISPY TOFU AND SPINACH

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. As the oven heats, press the tofu (you can do this by sandwiching the block in paper towels and placing a cutting board, plus a heavy pot, can or book on top).
• Cut the tofu into 1/2-inch cubes and place in a medium bowl. Add the salt and oils, and toss to combine.
• Sprinkle the cornstarch, panko and sesame seeds, if using, and toss gently so the tofu cubes are coated.
• Spread on the prepared sheet and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, flipping once, until golden-brown and crisp.
• While the tofu bakes, start the noodles: Put the dry rice noodles in a big, wide bowl. Fill a kettle, bring the water to a boil, and pour the boiling water over the noodles to cover. Set aside for 6 to 10 minutes, until the noodles are fully rehydrated and soft. (Time may vary by brand.) Then drain, rinse with cold water, and drain again. Transfer noodles to a large bowl.
• As the noodles soak, prepare the spicy sesame oil: In a small pot, combine sesame oil, peanut oil, garlic, ginger, red-pepper flakes and sesame seeds. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook on the lowest heat for 10 to 12 minutes, until the garlic slices turn golden.
• Meanwhile, on your cutting board, make a small mound with the teaspoon of salt. Place the basil and the scallions on top, and use your knife to furiously chop and smash until you have a rough paste.
• Mix the basil paste into the bowl of rice noodles. Pile the baby spinach on top. Pour at least half of the hot oil immediately over the spinach, tossing so that the heat wilts the leaves slightly. Then add the juice of the 1/2 lime and toss to combine. Taste for salt and lime juice, and add more oil as you see fit.
• Arrange the tofu on top of the noodles, or mix them in so that the cubes hide like little treasures. For extra flair, garnish with additional sesame seeds and a drizzle of toasted sesame oil.

SUNNY'S EASY CINNAMON SUGAR CRISPY NOODLES

Steps:

• In a large pot or wok over medium-high heat, add about 1 inch oil. Heat until it swirls and reaches 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with paper towels.
• Separate and break the noodles into 4- to 6-inch sections. Test the oil with a few strands; they should almost instantly get puffy. When the oil is ready, add the noodles in batches and cook until puffy, then remove to the paper towels. Season with a pinch of salt and a dusting of cinnamon sugar over the top.

CRISPY CHINESE NOODLES (RESTAURANT STYLE)

Steps:

• Heat a wok over medium heat until very hot and pour vegetable oil into hot wok. Let oil heat until the surface shimmers. To test heat, lower the tip of a wooden chop stick into the oil; if it bubbles vigorously, oil is heated enough.
• Cut egg roll wrappers into 1-inch strips and gently lay strips into the hot oil, 2 or 3 at a time. When strips start to brown on one side, gently flip over and brown the other side until the strips are crisp and golden brown, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Repeat with remaining egg roll wrappers, working in batches. Remove crisp noodles with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

CRISPY SHEET-PAN NOODLES WITH GLAZED TOFU

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 450 degrees and place one rack on the top and one on the bottom. Fill a kettle or medium pot with water (about 8 cups) and bring to a boil. Place the noodles in a heat-proof bowl and cover with boiling water. Soak for 5 minutes, then drain. Set aside the bowl to use in Step 5.
• Make the marinade: In a medium bowl, whisk to combine the hoisin sauce, sesame oil, maple syrup, garlic and sesame seeds.
• Place the noodles on a sheet pan. Add the sesame oil, 1 tablespoon of neutral oil, soy sauce, and 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt. Toss to combine, then spread the noodles out evenly.
• Dip each tofu slice into the marinade, coating both sides, then add them to the sheet pan, pushing the noodles aside so that the tofu touches the pan and doesn't just sit on top of the noodles. Place on the bottom rack of the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Reserve excess marinade.
• Place the baby bok choy into the reserved bowl, then add the remaining 1 tablespoon of neutral oil and 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt, and toss to coat.
• Remove the sheet pan from the oven (the noodles should be crisp on the bottom and around the edges) and add the bok choy to the pan. Return the sheet pan to the top rack of the oven and bake for 4 to 7 minutes until the greens are vibrant with crispy edges, and the top of the noodles are crispy. Drizzle with the remaining marinade, top with cilantro leaves and serve.