Very Spicy Sichuan Noodles
For garlicy Sichuan chili oil:
Ingredients
for baked soda
To make baked soda, spread it out evenly on a lined baking tray and bake at about 250-300 degrees F for one hour. It will lose about 1/3 of its weight in water and carbon dioixide. You can do more than you need and keep in a tightly sealed jar for future egg noodles/ramen making to prevent it from absorbing moisture in the air. Be careful handling it, it's not as strongly alkaline as lye, but it's still strong enough to irritate!
For Noodles
1. Dissolve 1 tsp of baked soda in the warm water, and then add this alkaline water to the flour slowly, mixing it in just till it comes together to form a shaggy dough. Don’t add it all at a once just in case it needs less or more. Note this dough is fairly dry and crumbly. You will see the flour turn yellow almost instantly. Magic.
2. Knead the dough for 5 minutes, then wrap and set aside for 20 minutes. Work again for another 5 minutes or till you get a nice pliable dough. It should be quite hard to knead but don't give up.
3. Wrap again and give it a final rest in the fridge for anytime from 1 hour to overnight.
4. Cut the dough into 2 or 3 portions. Roll out each portion using a pasta machine, going from the thickest setting down to as thin a setting as you like. Keep it well floured to avoid sticking.
To cook, simply drop the noodles into boiling salted water till cooked. The timing will depend on the type of noodle, but as they are fresh noodles they will cook quickly.
Mee pok and ramen noodles will only need a very quick blanching to keep them al dente, while hokkien noodles should have a slightly softer texture.
For garlicy Sichuan chili oil:
- 1 1/2 tsp garlic, minced
- 2 whole garlic cloves
- 1/4-inch piece of fresh ginger, smashed
- 1 tsp chili flakes
- 1-2 dried red chilies
- 1/2 star anise
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 tsp red Sichuan peppercorns, finely ground
- 1 1/2 tsp soy sauce
- In a saucepan, heat up 1 tsp of minced garlic, the whole cloves of garlic, ginger, chili flakes, dried red chilies, star anise, and vegetable oil over medium heat, until sizzling. Stir to prevent burning and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, watching the garlic to make sure it doesn’t burn. The garlic should be lightly browned.
- Turn off heat and add the ground red Sichuan peppercorns. Stir until the oil stops sizzling.
- Add the soy sauce and the remaining 1/2 tsp of minced garlic, and transfer to a jar. Best if given 3 to 4 hours before using. Remove star anise, ginger, and whole garlic cloves from the oil.
- 1 1/2 tsp garlic, minced
- 1/4-inch piece of fresh ginger, smashed
- 1 tsp chili flakes
- 1-2 dried red chilies
- pinch of star anise ground
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 tsp red Sichuan peppercorns, finely ground
- 1 1/2 tsp soy sauce
- In a saucepan, heat up 1 tsp of minced garlic, ginger, chili flakes, dried red chilies, and vegetable oil over medium heat, until sizzling. Stir to prevent burning and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, watching the garlic to make sure it doesn’t burn. The garlic should be lightly browned.
- Turn off heat and add Sichuan peppercorns and ground star anise. Add the soy sauce and remaining garlic.
- 8 oz ramen noodles
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 3 tablespoons triple-garlic Sichuan chili oil (above)
- 2 tablespoons Chinese black vinegar (or balsamic)
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon tahini
- 1 teaspoon peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 eggs, beaten with 1 tablespoon water
- Thinly sliced cucumber, for garnish
- Chopped scallions, for garnish
- Cook noodles until al dente. Drain, rinse with cold water, and toss with the sesame oil.
- To make the sauce, in a small bowl, whisk the chili oil, black vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, water, tahini, and peanut butter together. Taste-test this sauce for the amount of heat. Adjust as necessary.
- Heat up a large skillet with the vegetable oil. Spread a thin layer of eggs across surface, swirling to reach the entire surface. Cook on low heat until cooked through. Cool. Cut into thin strips.
- Mix noodles with the sauce until well-combined, and garnish with cucumbers, egg strips, and scallions. Serve cold or at room temperature.
Ingredients
- 8 oz organic unbleached plain flour
- 1/2 tsp baked soda (see below)
- 4 oz lukewarm water
for baked soda
To make baked soda, spread it out evenly on a lined baking tray and bake at about 250-300 degrees F for one hour. It will lose about 1/3 of its weight in water and carbon dioixide. You can do more than you need and keep in a tightly sealed jar for future egg noodles/ramen making to prevent it from absorbing moisture in the air. Be careful handling it, it's not as strongly alkaline as lye, but it's still strong enough to irritate!
For Noodles
1. Dissolve 1 tsp of baked soda in the warm water, and then add this alkaline water to the flour slowly, mixing it in just till it comes together to form a shaggy dough. Don’t add it all at a once just in case it needs less or more. Note this dough is fairly dry and crumbly. You will see the flour turn yellow almost instantly. Magic.
2. Knead the dough for 5 minutes, then wrap and set aside for 20 minutes. Work again for another 5 minutes or till you get a nice pliable dough. It should be quite hard to knead but don't give up.
3. Wrap again and give it a final rest in the fridge for anytime from 1 hour to overnight.
4. Cut the dough into 2 or 3 portions. Roll out each portion using a pasta machine, going from the thickest setting down to as thin a setting as you like. Keep it well floured to avoid sticking.
To cook, simply drop the noodles into boiling salted water till cooked. The timing will depend on the type of noodle, but as they are fresh noodles they will cook quickly.
Mee pok and ramen noodles will only need a very quick blanching to keep them al dente, while hokkien noodles should have a slightly softer texture.