Chicken dan dan noodles

Posted in Local food
Chicken dan dan noodles

Ingredients (29)

  • Handmade Wheat Noodles

  • 400g plain flour
  • Warm water
  • 2 tsp kansui (also called lye or alkaline water*) *not the health style alkaline water designed for drinking. This is a particular variety used for cooking only.

  • Szechuan Chilli Oil

  • 2 tbsp Szechuan peppercorns
  • 1 small cinnamon stick
  • 2 star anise
  • 1/2 cup dried chilli flakes

  • Dressing

  • 3 tbsp tahini
  • 3 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 2 tsp Chingkiang vinegar
  • 2 tsp caster sugar
  • 1/2 tsp Chinese Five Spice powder
  • 1/2 tsp ground Szechuan peppercorns
  • 1/2 cup prepped Szechuan chilli oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled, crushed
  • 1/2 cup noodle cooking water

  • Stir Fry

  • 2 tbsp vegetable or olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic, peeled, finely chopped
  • 2cm fresh ginger peeled, finely chopped
  • 300g Lilydale Free Range Chicken Mince
  • Dash of white pepper
  • 1/2 tsp Chinese Five Spice powder
  • 2 tsp dark soy sauce
  • 1 tsp light soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp Shaoxin rice wine
  • 1/2 cup salted roasted peanuts
  • 1/2 cup chopped spring onions
  • 1/2 cup roughly chopped coriander, including stalks
  • 1 bunch choy sum, sliced into 10cm lengths, blanched in boiling water, drained in colander

Method

  • Step 1 To make the Szechuan chilli oil, combine all the Szechuan chilli oil ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat until it becomes fragrant. Stir occasionally and remove from heat when you see bubbles start to emerge. Set aside until needed.
  • Step 2 To make the dressing, combine all the dressing ingredients in a clean glass jar and shake until mixed thoroughly. Set aside until needed.
  • Step 3 To make the stir fry, combine the oil, garlic and ginger in a small frypan over medium-high heat and sauce until golden and fragrant. Add the chicken and stir fry until cooked through and browned. Add the remaining stir fry ingredients and stir to combine. Leave the stir fry in the fry pan until needed.
  • Step 4 To make the noodles, combine the flour and enough warm water to knead the flour into a pliable ball of dough - if you have the right amount of moisture, the dough should not stick to your work surface without the help of flour. Knead by hand for about 5 minutes or with a stand mixer with a hook attachment on the lowest speed for 2 minutes. Cover with clingfilm and rest for about 15 minutes.
  • Step 5 Divide the dough into 4 equal portions, then using a rolling pin, roll out the dough so each piece is about 5mm thick. Cover 3 pieces with a damp tea towel while you work with one. Dust it generously with flour then pass it through the highest setting on the pasta maker. Pass it through the next highest setting, then the next, dusting well with flour each time. Fold into thirds and repeat the process 3 more times. On the final roll, pass the dough all the way through to the second last setting, dust well, then pass through the noodle cutter and toss gently with generous amounts of flour so the strands don’t stick. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough.
  • Step 6 To cook the noodles, plunge each serve individually into salted boiling water (1 Tbs salt per 1L water) and scoop out with a spider, into serving bowls. Top each bowl with 1/4 cup of dressing, 1/4 of the stir fry and garnishing. Allow the diners to mix their own noodles.