From Dr Jim

• 1 seasoned Wok or non-stick pan
• 1 pack of dried noodles (good quality japanese noodles work well too)
• Olive oil
• Sesame oil
• Good soy sauce (Kikkoman Japanese is good)
• Sugar (demerara or other unrefined sugar)
• sea salt

Feel free to substitute whatever grade ingredient you like or can get
hold of. Also, the volumes/amounts aren't fixed like tablespoons,
teaspoons or fl oz - you just get the feel for what is right,
sometimes is great, others it is just ok - you'll get it.

Pre-emptive: Put dried noodles in pan, add boiling water. Bring back
to boil and let boil for 1 minute - very strictly 1 minute!

Pour of the hot water and cool them off with cold water. Keep doing
this until they are totally cold. Don't leave them in the water too
long as what you're trying to do is clear the starch (that will lead
to unwanted clumping later on) and prevent them from absorbing too
much water (as they will disintegrate).

Once they're cooled down, drain them well in a sieve or collender.
Leave them to sit for 20-30 mins - this is when you can get on with
the rest of your accompanying meal of chop suey, chow mein or whatever
stir fry.

As everything else is nearing readiness, come back to the noodles. Get
your wok/pan and add a few glugs of olive oil, a glug of soy sauce, a
glug of sesame oil (this is the main basis for the flavour - so don't
over do it...but you can vary the amount depending on how strong you
want them). Also add a pinch of salt and a good few pinches of the
sugar. Get the heat on and mix using your preferred utensil. It should
form a browny oily mush (all very healthy though).

Once mushed, dump in the noodles and fold them through the mush over
the heat. Try to get all the noodles coated - they will quickly absorb
the flavours. Keep the noodles cooking until they almost get that
crispy brown authentic noodle look (not the sloppy white noodles that
westerners often do - sloppy noodles are for Ramen soup and nothing
more!)

Then serve hot.

People will think you have a China man in your kitchen!

|