Years ago, we would go for lunch in Beverly Hills at this noodle shop that you got to by walking through another Chinese restaurant. The Dan Dan noodles were so amazing we could eat it every day. It seems like that noodle shop has closed down and we’ve been pining for those noodles ever since. Finally I found a recipe that looked like it could satisfy this craving and made some adjustments and viola! Here is my recipe for Dan Dan Noodles. Always a hit with the family. I get cheers whenever I announce that I’m making this for dinner. This Chinese noodle dish is full of flavour and is a great mid-week dish to make since it doesn’t take much time at all to prepare. I always end up doubling this recipe since we use it as a main dish and someone always wants seconds.
Serves 4 as part of a multi-course meal, or 2 to 3 as a single dish.
Ingredients
6 ounces ground pork or beef
1 tablespoon peanut oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
1 teaspoon minced ginger
2 scallions, white and green parts chopped
1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
1/2 teaspoon salt, or salt to taste
8 ounces dried Chinese egg noodles / udon noodles
1 handful dry-roasted peanuts, finely chopped
Sauce:
1/4 cup chicken stock or water
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon Chinese sesame paste or tahini
1 tablespoon Chinese black rice vinegar, or substitute good quality balsamic vinegar
3 teaspoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons chili oil (adjust according to your tolerance of spiciness)
2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
slurry made of 1 tablespoon cornstarch whisked with water to dissolve corn starch
Preparation
Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook the noodles according to package instructions. Drain the noodles, rinse under cold water, and drain again. Transfer the noodles to a serving dish.
Prepare the sauce: In a medium bowl, whisk together the chicken stock, soy sauce, sesame paste, vinegar, chili oil, sesame oil, sugar, and Sichuan pepper. Heat a large wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil and swirl to coat the base and sides. Add the garlic, ginger, white parts of the scallions, and optional Sichuan preserved vegetable and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the meat and stir-fry until the meat is a little crispy on the outside and no longer pink. Add rice wine to deglaze the pan. Add sauce to pan. Add in slurry and let cook for a couple minutes to thicken sauce. Season with salt to taste. Spoon the cooked meat mixture over the noodles or add noodles to pan and mix. Then portion into bowls and sprinkle the chopped scallions greens and chopped peanuts on top, and serve.
