Dan Dan Noodles

Named after the pole street vendors use to carry buckets of noodles and sauce around on, dan dan noodles are a staple of Sichuan province. There are many different versions, some are hot and soupy, some are room temperature or cold and just lightly sauced, some are anywhere in between. I prefer mine room temperature and heavily sauced but not swimming.

Ingredients

• Asian wheat noodles, fresh if you have access to them

Sauce:

• 3 parts Light soy
• 3 parts Dark soy
• 3 parts Black Vinegar
• 3 parts Chili Oil
• 3 parts toasted sesame paste, or peanut butter
• 1 part sugar (Fuchsia Dunlop's version does not have sugar, I like adding it because I think it tastes more balanced.)
• 1 part sichuan peppercorn, toasted and ground

Toppings (any or all of the following):

• Minced Sichuan pickled vegetables
• Sliced scallions
• cooked minced pork marinated in a little light soy

Method

Cook noodles, rinse in cool water, toss in a bit of sesame oil to keep separated. Top with sauce and toppings.

You can make this hot and soupier with the addition of chicken broth.