Noodle dish has taste of Sichuan streets
Dan Dan Noodles are a classic Chinese dish from Sichuan province.
Noodles have been part of Chinese cuisine for more than 4,000 years. The long strands symbolize longevity, one of the nicest things you can wish for at Lunar New Year (on Feb. 16 this year).
Dan Dan Noodles are essentially long skinny noodles topped with a flavourful sauce built on ground pork and seasoned with pickled vegetables, chilis, soy sauce, and a bit of Chinese wine and vinegar.
This dish was originally a street food. Dan Dan refers to the pole on which street vendors in Sichuan would carry the pots of food: one for noodles, another for sauce.
A few of the ingredients might take a little work to find unless you live near a great Asian market. Seek them out if you want to approach authenticity, but otherwise use these easy substitutions: If you can’t find the Chinese black vinegar, substitute even parts of rice vinegar and balsamic vinegar. Really any vinegar would be fine, but that combo gives you the closest approximation. Dry sherry is a fine substitute for the rice wine.
If you have access to a great Asian market, or want to find a source online, then buy ya cai, zha cai or Tianjin dong cai, a preserved vegetable mix, or sometimes just pickled mustard root. It is available in cans or jars. Otherwise, jarred pickles work just fine.
There are many versions of this dish. Some are brothier than others, some have peanut butter or sesame or ginger, or Szechuan peppercorns.
Sichuan cooking is often spicy and these noodles are no exception. If you’re feeling timid about the amount of chili paste, you can always dial it back a bit — these noodles definitely pack a kick.
Dan Dan Noodles
Serves: Four Start to finish: 30 minutes Sauce 1/4 cup chili garlic paste 1/4 cup vegetable, peanut or canola oil 2 Tbsp Chinkiang or Chinese Black vinegar 3 Tbsp soy sauce 1 Tbsp sugar 4 scallions, minced Pork and Noodles 1 Tbsp vegetable or peanut oil 1 lb ground pork 1/4 cup chopped, jarred, Chinese pickled vegetables or small diced pickles 1 cup roughly chopped arugula (optional) 2 tsp finely minced garlic 2 Tbsp Chinese rice wine (which might be called Shaoxing, or a Japanese version is called Mirin), or use dry sherry 1 cup chicken broth 16 oz fresh Chinese wheat noodles or 8 oz dried Chinese noodles, or substitute spaghetti To serve 1/4 cup crushed roasted peanuts 1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, make the sauce. Combine the chili paste, 1/4 cup oil, vinegar, soy sauce, sugar and minced scallions in a large bowl and stir to mix well.
Heat the 1 Tbsp vegetable or peanut oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat. Add the pork and sauté until browned, about three minutes.
Drain if there is any liquid in the pan, then return to the pan. Stir in the preserved vegetables or pickles, arugula (if using) and the garlic, and cook for another minute. Add the rice wine and stir until it is evaporated, about one minute. Add the broth and bring to a simmer, then remove from the heat.
Add the noodles to the boiling water and cook according to package directions (fresh usually take about half as long as dried). Drain.
Stir the sauce to re-combine, then add the noodles to the sauce and toss to coat. Add the pork mixture and toss again.
Serve hot, in shallow bowls, sprinkled with the peanuts and sliced scallions.