Recipe My Cult Lunch: Szechuan-style Cold Peanut Noodles

The OMWC

The OMWC

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Location
Finger Lakes, NY
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www.enjoyterracotta.com
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I made a slightly toned down version for our café, but I think I can trust you to not be afraid of a little bit of heat. And garlic. And sour. After the first time I made this dish, it was a big enough hit that we still offer it as a weekly special every Friday. It's sold out by lunch and has become a bit of a local cult item.

1 lb fresh noodles (I use Korean kalguksu, pre-made for the shop, home-made for my dinner table)
1 tbs toasted sesame oil

For the sauce:
4 oz (by weight) chunky peanut butter
2 tbs chili garlic sauce (I use Huy Fong)
1 clove fresh garlic, pulverized (or microplaned)
3 tbs black vinegar (I use shanxi)
1 tbs red chili oil
1-1/2 tbs regular soy sauce or Bragg's Aminos

For the toppings:

3 scallions
1 seedless cucumber
8 tsp chile crisp

1. Cook the noodles: Bring large pot of water to the boil. Separate the noodles and drop them in. Stir cook briefly until the noodles are just slightly firmer than al dente. Drain and rinse the noodles thoroughly with cold water. Drain and toss the noodles with the sesame oil to coat and prevent sticking.

2. Prepare the toppings: Trim the scallions and cucumber. Slice the scallions into ~5mm pieces on the diagonal. Slice the cucumber, then make matchsticks. Put aside.

3. Make the sauce: Mix together the peanut butter, chili garlic sauce, black vinegar, chili oil, and soy sauce. Use some hot water to lower the viscosity to about that of a loose pancake batter (for geeks, 4000 cs or so if you have a Brookfield in your kitchen, which I guess would make you a geek by default).

4. Toss the noodles and sauce until everything is evenly dispersed. Divide into four portions.

5. Top each portion with cucumber, scallion, and a tsp of chile crisp. Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled. If someone asks you to warm it up, remove them from your home. You'll be better off.

peanut noodles sign.jpg
 
Morning Glory said:
Looks good! It also seems to be vegan unless there are any animal products hidden in the sauces.
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It is vegan indeed! Although we are NOT a vegan café, we try to do vegan daily specials (college town) and most of our daily curries as well. I'm lobbying hard for a dispensation so I can make shakshuka...
 
The OMWC said:
I made a slightly toned down version for our café, but I think I can trust you to not be afraid of a little bit of heat. And garlic. And sour. After the first time I made this dish, it was a big enough hit that we still offer it as a weekly special every Friday. It's sold out by lunch and has become a bit of a local cult item.
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Love it! You´re gently introducing unusual cuisine into a local, and probably conservative population. I think that´s the way to do it - one dish at a time. Peanut noodles are divine, and any other protein with peanuts (for example, satay) is really tasty.
 
karadekoolaid said:
Love it! You´re gently introducing unusual cuisine into a local, and probably conservative population. I think that´s the way to do it - one dish at a time. Peanut noodles are divine, and any other protein with peanuts (for example, satay) is really tasty.
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That's a very perceptive observation. The town is limited to a basic diner, a "Chinese" takeout (more NYC than Beijing), and us. I'm getting people enthusiastic about some Thai and Indian flavors (e.g., no-one here had ever heard of dal makhani or chhole masala, much less idli sambar), and we do a weekly onigiri and a hummos/tabbouleh plate. The hard part is getting people to try stuff the first time. After that... we got 'em.

I'm fortunate that there's some bright and skilled kids who learned the dishes quickly so I could get back to my lab at the university.:D
 
The OMWC said:
That's a very perceptive observation. The town is limited to a basic diner, a "Chinese" takeout (more NYC than Beijing), and us. I'm getting people enthusiastic about some Thai and Indian flavors (e.g., no-one here had ever heard of dal makhani or chhole masala, much less idli sambar), and we do a weekly onigiri and a hummos/tabbouleh plate. The hard part is getting people to try stuff the first time. After that... we got 'em.

I'm fortunate that there's some bright and skilled kids who learned the dishes quickly so I could get back to my lab at the university.:D
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Hmmmm, I've had friends and colleagues introducing me to Indian flavors for the first time about 20 times, and and nothing has "got me."

CD
 
caseydog said:
Hmmmm, I've had friends and colleagues introducing me to Indian flavors for the first time about 20 times, and and nothing has "got me."

CD
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I'll take up the challenge if you're ever in western NY. There's about a zillion varieties of "Indian" flavors, depending on the region. I bet I could find one you like, especially if you like Tex-Mex.
 
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caseydog said:
Hmmmm, I've had friends and colleagues introducing me to Indian flavors for the first time about 20 times, and and nothing has "got me."

CD
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Texas. Hmmm. Yeah, it's an odd dynamic. I get that, I grew up in the panhandle of Florida, and it used to be a bit limited. But, there are lots of great fusion influences these days.
The OMWC said:
That's a very perceptive observation. The town is limited to a basic diner, a "Chinese" takeout (more NYC than Beijing), and us. I'm getting people enthusiastic about some Thai and Indian flavors (e.g., no-one here had ever heard of dal makhani or chhole masala, much less idli sambar), and we do a weekly onigiri and a hummos/tabbouleh plate. The hard part is getting people to try stuff the first time. After that... we got 'em.

I'm fortunate that there's some bright and skilled kids who learned the dishes quickly so I could get back to my lab at the university.:D
Click to expand...
Youth have always been a bit more adventerous than most of the older population!
 
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