Dan-dan Mian I Szechuan

prep time:: 15 minutes
cook time:: 5 minutes
total time:: 20 minutes

Makes 4 servings

from Clay: This recipe is adapted from Dunlop’s Land of Plenty. These are sold on the street in Szechuan, and there are two varieties: with and without sesame paste. These are without. Dunlop also has a recipe with, which I may post, if I try it and like the results. Oh. These are extremely picante. Chili heads will love this. I changed a few things. I really despise waste, so whereas Dunlop’s recipe calls for only the green parts of the green onions, I use the whole thing. The original calls for 12 oz. of noodles, but the local Asian grocery sells them in pound packages, so I changed it. This is very similar to the amazingly delicious -- and fiery -- dan-dan mian I had at the Szechuan Gourmet in Manhattan, but not as spicy, so I changed that. If you have a more delicate palate, you may want to decrease the amount of chili oil.

ingredients

Noodles

1 lb. fresh Chinese noodles

Sauce

Sauce
1 T. peanut oil
4 T. Szechuan ya cai (see instructions below)
3 green onions
1/2 T. dark soy sauce
6 T. chili oil
1 1/2 T. black vinegar
1 t. Szechuan peppercorns, ground

Pork Topping

1 T. oil
4 oz ground pork
1 t. sherry
2 t. light soy sauce

directions

1
1. Szechuan ya cai is one of the several things often labelled as Szechuan preserved vegetable. It’s preserved turnip greens. You’ll find it at any Asian grocery in a pouch. You can substitute Tsinjiang preserved vegetable (in a jar). Measure it out, then chop it. Or you could use fresh turnip greens, though they won’t be the same, of course.
2
2. Heat 1 T. of oil in wok over high flame. Add the ya cai and stir-fry for about 20 seconds, until it is fragrant. Set aside.
3
3. Add another T. of oil to wok and reheat, then add the pork and stir-fry. As the meat separates, splash in the wine. Add the soy sauce and salt to taste, and continue to stir-fry until the meat is well-cooked but not too dry. Remove from the wok and set aside.
4
4. Slice the white part of the green onions very thinly. Chop the green parts into pieces about a half-inch long.
5
5. Put stir-fried ya cai, green onions, and other sauce ingredients into a serving bowl and mix.
6
6. Cook noodles according to the instructions on the package. Then drain and add them to the sauce. Sprinkle with the pork and serve immediately.
7
7. If serving from a big bowl, mix sauce and noodles and meat until evenly distributed. Otherwise, assemble each portion in individual serving bowls and allow people to mix their own.