CAFé CHINA'S DAN DAN NOODLES
Also known as dan dan mian, these noodles have regional variations - you're likely to find a peanut-laden, vegetarian version in Taiwan - but this recipe comes from Café China, a beloved Sichuan restaurant in New York City. Popularized in Chengdu, this dish takes its name from the Mandarin verb "dan," which refers to how vendors once carried the ingredients, hanging from bamboo poles balanced on their shoulders. The dish builds on a complex chile sauce that is more rich and robust than fiery. Though the ingredient list is lengthy, the process is clear-cut: Get the water boiling for your noodles while you prepare the sauce. Sauté the pork, seasoned with suimiyacai (preserved mustard greens), boil your noodles, and dinner is served.
Provided by Alexa Weibel
Categories dinner, quick, weeknight, meat, noodles, main course, side dish
Time 30m
Yield 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 17
Steps:
- Bring a large pot of water to boil for the noodles.
- Prepare the chile oil: In a medium skillet, heat the 1/2 cup oil over high. Add the ginger, star anise, red-pepper flakes, ground chile, fennel seeds, cloves and cinnamon to a medium heatproof bowl. Once the oil is shimmering, about 3 to 5 minutes, pour it over the spices. (The mixture will bubble vigorously.) Set aside for 10 minutes. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing to extract as much seasoned oil as possible. Makes 1/3 cup chile oil.
- Prepare the pork: In a wok or nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil over high. Add the pork and cook, breaking it up the pork and stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until browned and cooked through, about 4 minutes. Add the suimiyacai and stir quickly until just combined. Set aside. (The goal here is simply to integrate the mustard greens; there is no need to cook them.)
- Once chile oil has cooled, whisk in the soy sauce, sesame paste and Maggi seasoning. Set out four individual serving bowls, and add 2 tablespoons of chile sauce to each.
- Once the water boils, add the snow pea shoots to blanch just until wilted, about 1 minute, then use a slotted spoon to transfer them to a bowl. Add noodles to the boiling water and cook until just softened and tender, about 4 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water just to cool slightly.
- Using tongs, divide the noodles and pea shoots among the bowls. (It's OK if the noodles are dripping some water; a little extra moisture is ideal so the noodles remain glossy but not sticky.) Top each with pork mixture, sprinkle with sliced scallions and serve immediately.
- Mix the noodles to coat with chile sauce before eating, and serve with additional sauce at the table.
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Jony Sarker
[email protected]I'm a big fan of Dan Dan noodles and this recipe is one of the best I've tried. The sauce is creamy and flavorful, and the noodles are cooked perfectly.
Kashu Gurmani
[email protected]This recipe is a bit time-consuming, but it's definitely worth it. The noodles are so flavorful and the sauce is amazing.
Lamarelle
[email protected]I made this dish for a party and it was a huge hit! Everyone loved it.
Afolake Ayeni
[email protected]I'm not a huge fan of spicy food, but these noodles were still really good. The sauce was creamy and flavorful, and the noodles were cooked perfectly.
Jena Valentine
[email protected]These noodles are so delicious and addictive! I can't stop eating them.
Gurwinder Sangha
[email protected]I love this recipe! It's my go-to for a quick and easy weeknight meal.
musa felicia
[email protected]This dish is so easy to make and it's always a hit with my family.
Md Sahkib
[email protected]I followed the recipe exactly and the dish turned out great! The sauce was flavorful and the noodles were cooked perfectly.
Chaminda Nishantha
[email protected]This recipe is a keeper! The noodles were delicious and the sauce was perfect. I will definitely be making this again.
Md Hasan ClD
[email protected]I made this dish last night and it was a huge success! My husband and kids loved it. The sauce was creamy and flavorful, and the noodles were perfectly cooked.
lady ola omo ola
[email protected]This is my new favorite noodle dish! It's so easy to make and it's always a hit with my family and friends. The sauce is rich and flavorful, and the noodles are perfectly cooked.
Emely Raquel Bonilla
[email protected]These noodles were amazing! The sauce was flavorful and creamy, with a little bit of spice. The noodles were cooked perfectly and had a great texture. I added some extra vegetables and tofu to make it a complete meal.