Dan dan noodles

(Serves 4-6)

Ingredients

500g pork mince
50ml light soy sauce
50ml Chinese rice wine (aka Shao Tsing, Shao Hsing or Shaoxing)
Ground white pepper

500g Chinese wheat noodles
50ml vegetable oil plus extra for the noodles
100g Tianjin preserved vegetables
2 Tbl of Sichuan peppercorns, or to taste
45ml Chinese rice wine
80ml light soy sauce
15ml dark soy sauce
60-120ml red chilli oil (adjust to your spiciness level)
2 tsps brown rice vinegar (can be substituted with balsamic or Chinese black vinegar)
500ml chicken stock
2-3 Tbl caster sugar, or to taste
Scallions, sliced thinly
Red chillis, deseeded and slice thinly

Method

Combine the pork mince, soy sauce, rice wine and white pepper and set aside to marinate for 30 minutes to an hour.

Meanwhile, rinse the Tianjin preserved veges (to rinse off the excess saltiness), squeeze to dry then drain on paper towels. Pound the Sichuan pepper in a mortle and pestle to a fine powder.

After the pork has marinated, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook your wheat noodles according to the packet’s instructions until tender. Drain, rinse with cold water and drain again. Add a dash of vegetable oil and toss to keep the noodles from sticking. Set aside while you prepare the sauce.

In a wok, heat the 50ml vege oil over medium-high heat. Add the drained preserved veges and fry until fragrant. Add the marinated pork mince and fry for a couple of minutes until browned.

Add the rice wine and cook for a further minute. Add all the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes to develop the flavours.

Divide the noodles in serving bowls, ladle the hot sauce and pork mince over and garnish with scallions and chillis if using.

Notes on recipe:

• Any type and thickness noodles can be used in this recipe whether it’s egg or wheat. Pantry empty? Spaghetti or thin linguine can be used to substitute. I prefer to use thicker 100% wheat noodles (the ones I buy looks like linguine).

• Sichuan Dan Dan Noodles tends to be less sweeter and more spicier. “Westernised” and Taiwanese (so I’ve been told) versions tend to be sweeter, milder, have a thicker sauce and include a bit of sesame paste or peanut butter.

• Feel free to mix it up with the sauce if you like. Add chinese mushrooms / shitakes to the noodles or garnish with chinese greens. This is a dish that is easy to play with to your heart’s desire.