Hooray – FINALLY, a recipe for something savoury. It has been pointed out to me that I have been focusing solely on desserts and sweet treats lately, and whilst that is all very well, we must also have some proper food. I’m fairly sure this fits the bill, although it’s more of a home-cooked streetfood dish than a dinner party main course. Eminently suitable for relaxed evenings in with a group of good friends, it also makes a splendid addition to a picnic basket.
It is as easy as whisking a load of ingredients together and slathering them over some cooked noodles. The most important thing is to taste the sauce once it has been prepared, adding a further dash of this or that as necessary in order to get the flavours really working for you. Think balance. Go easy on the peanut butter or the texture can get a little too cloying.
Cold Sesame Noodles
250g Chinese egg noodles (medium or thick work best)
1 tablespoon sesame oil (pure rather than toasted), plus an extra splash
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
0.5 tablespoon smooth peanut butter
0.5 tablespoon caster sugar
thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled and very finely grated
2 cloves garlic, crushed
0.5 teaspoon Very Lazy Red Chillies or half a red chilli, seeds removed and very finely chopped
dry roasted peanuts, chopped (about a handful)
cucumber ribbons, to garnish
lime wedges, to serve
Cook the noodles according to the packet instructions and rinse under cold water to prevent them sticking. Toss with a splash of sesame oil and put to one side.
Whizz the rest of the sesame oil with the soy sauce, rice vinegar, peanut butter, sugar, ginger, garlic and chilli in a blender
Just before serving, sprinkle the chopped peanuts over the top and artfully arrange your cucumber ribbons here and there. Serve with lime wedges on the side to cut through the spicy sweetness of the sauce.
Try it, I think you’ll like it :). Watch out for midnight cravings if you happen to leave a bowl of this overnight in the fridge…
