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Szechuan Noodles with Peanut Sauce
2 tbs dark sesame oil 1/4 c plus 1 tbs shelled, salted roasted peanuts 1 clove garlic, peeled 1 tbs peanut oil* 1 tbs light soy sauce (NOT "lite" soy sauce!) 2 tsp Chinese black vinegar** 1 tsp sugar Szechuan red chile paste to taste (I use about a tsp) 1 scallion 1 red banana chile (these look like Hungarian chiles, but are red and not very hot) First, decide if you want to serve this hot or cold. For
cold, boil the noodles until nearly done, then drain and quickly rinse
with cold water (reserve a little of the cooking water). Plunge into ice
bath, remove and drain. Toss with 1 tbs of the sesame oil and put aside
while making sauce. For hot noodles, make sauce first. Then boil noodles
until done, drain well, toss with 1 tbs of the sesame oil, then the sauce.
To make sauce, put 1 tbs of the sesame oil, 1/4 c peanuts, the garlic,
peanut oil, vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, and chile paste in a blender or
food processer and puree to a smooth sauce. If the sauce looks too thick,
add a little of the pasta water and process some more. Take the remaining
peanuts and chop them with a knife. Chiffonade the scallions. Remove the
core and seeds from the red chiles and cut them into fine strips. Pour
sauce over noodles and toss, put in serving bowls, and top with scallion
chiffonade, red chile strips, and chopped peanuts. * It''s worthwhile
to use an intense peanut oil. My favorite is Lion & Globe. ** Black vinegar
is the Chinese equivalent of balsamico, though much less sweet. My favorite
is Chinkiang. If you''re stuck in an uncivilized place without Chinese
groceries, a substitute would be a 50/50 mixture of balsamic and cider
vinegar. But please try to use the real thing. |
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