Dan Dan Noodles

I am reading a book by the author of this recipe, Fuschia Dunlop, where she chronicles her experiences as the first Westerner allowed in the Sichuanese Culinary Academy in China. She describes this recipe specifically in the book and it made me want to try it. The story is that there was this street food vendor/restauranteur nearby that made the best dan dan noodles. She developed a kinship with him and over the course of many months, she picked up a bit here and a bit there of the recipe. Finally, she was able to piece the whole thing together.

We were not disappointed. The thing with traditional Sichuan food is that it is supposed to be 'hot and numbing'. The Sichuan peppers leave a pleasant warmth/numbness on the lips and the food is a little spicy, but not crazy hot like Hunan. I loved this as much as her other stuff we've cooked. Give it a whirl if you want a quick, spicy lunch or dinner for two.

(NOTE: There's lots of noodles out there. Egg. Rice. Wheat, and so on. You want flour and water noodles here. In the Asian markets look for 'mein' or 'mian' noodles.)

200 g chinese mein noodles
1 tablespoon peanut oil
3 sichuanese chilies, cut in half, seeds discarded
½ teaspoon whole sichuan pepper
25 g sichuanese preserved vegetables
100 g beef sirloin, minced
2 teaspoons light soy sauce
salt

For the Sauce:
½ teaspoon sichuan pepper, ground, roasted
2 tablespoons sesame paste
3 tablespoons light soy sauce
2 teaspoons soy sauce
4 tablespoons chili oil, with sediment

Heat 1 tablespoon of peanut (groundnut) oil in a wok over moderate flame. When the oil is hot but not yet smoking, add the chillies and Sichuan pepper and stir-fry briefly until the oil is spicy and fragrant. Take care not to burn the spices. Add the preserved vegetables and continue to stir-fry until hot and fragrant. Add the meat, splash in the soy sauce and stir-fry until the meat is brown and a little crisp, but not too dry. Season with salt to taste. When the meat is cooked, remove the mixture from the wok and set aside.

Divide the sauce ingredients among the serving bowls and mix together.

Cook the noodles according to packet instructions. Drain them and add a portion to the sauce in each serving bowl. Sprinkle each bowl with meat mixture and serve immediately.

Before eating, give the noodles a good stir until the sauce and meat are evenly distributed.