Noodles are a form of staple food very popular among the Chinese. They can be made either by hand or by machine and, by the way they are made, are divided into "cut noodles" or "dried noodles." Made in whatever way, they may be of different widths, varying from ribbons to threads. As a prepared dish, they can be served warm or cold, dressed with chilli oil or not, eaten with fried bean sauce, port or chicken sauce, duck chops, soup of any concoction and what not.
There is also a variety of "instant noodles", which are precooked, dried and commercially packed. Before eating, all one has to do is to soak them in hot, boiled water for a few minutes. They are very handy for a quick lunch in the office or on a journey.
As noodles are always in the form of long strings, they are symbolic of longevity and are therefore indispensable at Chinese birthday parties.
Two types of noodles stand out among the rest and require professional skill. The "hand-pulled noodles" are probably unique to China and can be made only by a trained cook. He prepares the paste by stretching it in his hands and, holding it stretched and shaking it gently up and down four or five times, lets down the middle of the long paste and swings it in such a way that it twists around itself. He repeats the stretching, shaking and twisting many times until he feels the paste is firm enough. Then, on a work board he starts pulling the paste with his arms stretched. He folds the thick string of paste into two, pulling again. This he repeats many times over and the strings of paste become longer, more numerous, thinner and thinner, turning finally into very fine noodles. The whole process of making "hand-pulled noodles" is done with such magical dexterity that to watch an experienced cook at it is like enjoying a juggler's show.
Another speciality that one cannot make at is longxu mian (dragon beard noodles). Commercially they are available fried, so they are golden in colour, crisp to the bite and with a distinctive flavour. "Dragon beards" are also hand-pulled but are made extraordinarily fine. It has been calculated that a piece a paste prepared with 1.5 kilograms of wheat flour can make 144,000 hair-thin noodles, each 0.17 metres long, which means a total length of 2 kilometres.
At the beginning "dragon beards" were simply called "beards," but since they caught the fancy of an emperor and as the dragon was the symbol of all emperors, they have come to be known as "dragon beards."
Noodles with Fried Bean-Paste Sauce
INGREDIENTS
1 lb (500 g) flour noodles 9 oz (250 g) lean and fat port, minced
5 tsp (25 g) sweet fermented flour paste (sweet bean sauce or hoisin sauce) 5 peppercorns
5 tbsp vegetable oil 1 tsp scallions, chopped
1 tsp fresh ginger, chopped 5 tbsp soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste 1 cup (200 ml) clear stock
1 tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 1 tbsp water
Add enough water to the bean paste sauce to make a thin paste. Heat oil in a wok until the oil surface ripples. Add peppercorns and deep-fry until fragrant. Remove and discard peppercorns. Add the pork, the scallions, ginger, soy sauce, salt and the paste. Stir-fry about 1 minute, then add the stock and cornstarch. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring, until thickened. Transfer to a serving bowl.
Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the noodles. Bring back to a boil and let cook for 30 seconds. Add cold water two or three times, each time bringing the water back to the boil until the noodles are just cooked. Drain in a colander and place on dishes or in bowls. Diners help themselves to some of the sweet bean paste, starting with about 1 tbsp and adding more to taste.
Peddler's Hot and Spicy Noodles,(Dandan Noodles)
INGREDIENTS
1 lb (500 g) flour noodles 4 tbsp sesame paste
5 tsp sesame oil 5 oz (150 ml) soy sauce
3 tbsp vegetable oil or lard 5 tsp scallions, chopped
2 oz (50 g) Sichuan preserved cabbage, chopped, or fresh coriander (or cilantro) 5 tbsp chili (chilli) oil
1 tsp MSG
Mix the sesame paste with the sesame oil and set aside. Mix together the soy sauce, vegetable oil or lard, scallions, preserved cabbage or coriander, MSG, and chili oil, and divide among 5 serving bowls.
Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the noodles. Bring back to a boil and let cook for 30 seconds. Add enough cool water to stop the boiling, then back to the boil. Add more cool water and bring to a boil a third time. This time, boil until the noodles are just cooked. Drain well in a colander and divide among the 5 bowls. Blend the noodles with seasonings, and serve.
Stir-Fried Noodles with Chicken
INGREDIENTS
1 lb (500 g) flour noodles 10 1/2 oz (300 g) boneless chicken breast, skinned
1 egg white 2 1/2 tbsp cornstarch (cornflour) dissolved in 1 1/4 tbsp water
13 tbsp (200 ml) vegetable oil (or lard) 7 oz (200 g) chives, washed well and cut into 1 inch (3 cm) sections
1 tbsp salt, or to taste 1 cup (200 ml) chicken broth
1/4 tsp MSG
Shred the chicken breasts. Mix the egg white and the cornstarch-water into a paste and coat the chicken shreds.
Heat 4 1/2 tbsp (100 ml) of the oil in a wok to about 212oF(100oC). Add the chicken shreds and cool, stirring, until they turn white. Pour out the oil and set it aside. Mix the chives, MSG, salt, and stock with the chicken and bring to a boil. Drain off and reserve the broth and seasonings. Place the chicken shreds in a bowl.
Boil the noodles 3 times, as described in recipes 165 and 166. After the final boiling rinse in cold water and drain well.
Heat 4 1/2 tbsp (100 ml) of the oil, including that used earlier, in the wok until the oil surface ripples. Tilt the wok to swirl the oil around. Add the noodles in an even layer. Shallow-fry them, swirling the wok so they cook evenly. Fry until browned on one side, then slide the wok scoop or a spatula under the noodles and turn them over. Sprinkle the other 4 tbsp of oil around the edges and shallow-fry the noodles until browned on the other side. Add the reserved chicken broth. Cover the wok and simmer for 1 minute, or until the noodles absorb the sauce. toss the noodles with chopsticks or a fork and add the chicken shreds. Stir, remove, and serve.
"Crossing the Bridge" Noodles
INGREDIENTS
9 oz (250 g) very fine Chinese egg noodles 1 oz (25 g) spinach or rape
2 oz (50 g) boneless chicken breast 2 oz (50 g) fish filet, skinned
2 oz (50 g) shrimps or prawns, shelled 1/2 tsp rice wine
1/8 tsp fresh ginger, chopped 1/8 tsp salt, or to taste
1/8 tsp soy sauce 6 cups (1,500 ml)chicken broth
5 tbsp chicken fat 1/2 tsp MSG
Blanch the spinach or rape briefly in boiling water, drain, and set aside. Mix the rice wine, ginger, 1/8 tsp of the salt, and the soy sauce into a marinade. Slice the chicken, fish, and prawns paper-thin. Spread out on a serving platter and add the marinade. Let stand.
Heat a pot of water to boiling and add the noodles. Bring back to a boil and cook uncovered until they are soft, about 4 minutes for dried noodles and 2 minutes for fresh ones. Drain in a colander and lay the vegetable on top.
Bring the chicken broth to a boil in a saucepan and ass the MSG, the remaining 1/2 tsp of salt, and the chicken fat. Bring to a fast boil for 1 minute. Transfer to a tureen and bring to the table with the platter of meats and the colander of noodles.
Pour the meat and noodles into the boiling hot broth. They will cook instantly. Stir and serve in individual bowls.
Note: The noodles poured from one bowl to another bowl of boiling hot broth is like a bridge. Hence the name of the dish.
Shrimp Noodles
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste high stock or hotbed leek sauce (see below)
4 1/2 cups (500 g) flour, sifted 5 oz (150 g) shrimp, shelled and deveined
4 egg whites
Mince the shrimp into a pulp and mix with the egg whites, salt, and flour. Add enough water to knead a smooth, elastic dough. Roll out into a very thin sheet and fold into 3 layers. Cut crosswise into fine noodles.
Heat 5 cups (1,250 ml) of water to boiling and cook uncovered until the noodles are done, about 1 1/2 minutes.
Serve the noodles in bowls with high stock or hotbed leek sauce, made by boiling leek, lard, oyster sauce together and thickening the sauce by adding dissolved cornflour.
