Sophia’s Dan Dan Noodle
Sophia Wang
Dan Dan Mian (The Ultimate Street Noodle)
Dan Dan Mian is one of the million noodle dishes I grew up eating. In my household, noodles were synonymous with care and love. I’ve eaten countless variations and have enjoyed each one. In China, Dan Dan Mian is a street food staple. You’ll find plastic stools and stands lining the road while people slurp these fragrant, hearty noodles at all hours. At home, I deem it the “king of bowls” so users beware…this recipe requires many bowls for assembly because of its countless toppings.
Ingredients:
The aromatics and seasonings:
-Ginger
-Garlic
-Green Onion
-Chili Flakes
-Sugar
-Mushroom Boolean or MSG
The sauces:
-Tahini Sauce
-Soy Sauce
-Chinese Black Vinegar
-Chinese Peppercorn Oil
The heartier toppings and ingredients:
-Fatty ground pork
-Chinese Pickled Ya Cai
-Fresh noodles
Bowl Count: 5
The Chili Oil:
Bring any neutral oil to a smoking point, then turn off and let rest for half a minute to a minute or so to cool down.
In a bowl, add chili flake (should be coarser than a powder), and pour over, stirring (you should be able to hear a slight sizzle).
The Toppings:
Thinly slice a few slabs of ginger, mince one half head of garlic. Take one piece of green onion and slice the white and light green part closest to the root for stir-frying later, saving the darker green part for garnish later.
For half of the garlic, put into a separate bowl with a separate sprinkle of salt and a few tablespoons of warm water.
In a separate bowl, use a big spoon of tahini and mix well.
In a pan, add a scoop of oil and on medium high heat, fry ground meat (I prefer using pork with a good amount of fat in it) until golden brown. When the oil is rendered from the meat, add in your ginger, garlic, and green onions.
Then add in half a package of pickled Ya Cai (芽菜) and continue to stir fry until fragrant, then add in one or two tablespoons of soy sauce (don’t go heavy handed on this since the Ya Cai is already salty). Set aside your meat topping in a separate bowl.
Start boiling noodles (see The Veggies), cooking until al dente.
The Veggies:
Boil a pot of water for your noodle of choice.
Blanch your leafy green of choice (e.g. spinach or bok choy).
The Assembly:
In each bowl add one to one and a half spoons of soy sauce, half a tablespoon to one tablespoon of Chinese black vinegar (don’t want to overpower, so be easy on this ingredient), half a teaspoon of sugar, and a small sprinkle of mushroom Boolean (feel free to use MSG instead).
Add one to two tablespoons of your freshly made chili oil (making sure to include some of those lovely crispy bits) and one tablespoon of the tahini sauce, along with one tablespoon of your garlic water.
Add two healthy tablespoons of your meat mixture.
Add in your blanched vegetable of choice along with one to two big spoons of the starchy noodle water.
Add in one serving of your perfectly al dente noodles.
Add in a small drop of Chinese Szechuan peppercorn oil and top with green onions.
Mix and enjoy :)
