If you don’t have sesame oil you could toss the noodles in a few drizzles of groundnut oil or olive oil instead. You could cook the beef in groundnut oil for additional flavour.
You can make your own chilli oil by heating some vegetable oil, putting some dried chillies in overnight, and then sieving before using. Ching would usually use Chinkiang dark rice vinegar, but changed it to Balsamic as it is more widely available.
You can get away with using pale dry sherry instead of rice wine.
Cornichons are widely available in supermarkets but just in case you can’t find them baby gherkins will be fine. You could make the soup stock and store it in advance. You can also cook the batches of meat and freeze, then heat with the stock.
This dish is popular all over China and it originated when men used to wander the streets selling noodles and ingredients carrying them on “dan” poles which were made from bamboo. They would carry all their utensils with them too, everything but the kitchen sink! They served as a quick solution to those in need of a snack – busy mahjong players and gamblers late at night in Sichuan.
INGREDIENTS
Wheat flour noodles, cooked to packet instructions
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
4 tbsp vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled, crushed and finely chopped
1 tbsp ginger, freshly grated
250g minced beef
1 medium red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
1 tbsp rice wine
100g baby gherkins in vinegar, drained and finely diced
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 spring onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp sesame paste, or tahini
1 tbsp chilli oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar (or dark rice vinegar)
200ml chicken stock
To garnish:
1 small handful of coriander, finely chopped
Recipe continues
METHOD
Cook the noodles to packet instructions, drain and toss them through with some toasted sesame oil and place in four bowls.
Heat a wok over high heat and add 2 tbsp of vegetable oil. Add the garlic and ginger and stir for a few seconds before quickly adding the minced beef and chilli. As the beef starts to turn brown, add the rice wine. Then stir in the baby gherkins, cook for about 4 minutes until fragrant, and season with some light soy sauce.
In a small wok or pan, heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil and stir fry the spring onions, sesame paste, chilli oil and vinegar. Add the chicken stock and bring to the boil.
Into each bowl ladle the sauce stock, then the meat, followed by the coriander. Drizzle some chilli oil and toasted sesame oil (to taste) around the edges of the dish in the soup stock, and serve immediately.