As many of you know I love to cook late at night. For some reason there is just something relaxing about cooking while most of the world is asleep. I don't normally have to worry about interruptions, it is just me and the stove...and the cat...and I can just take my time and enjoy the kitchen. So Friday night I decided to make Dan Dan Noodles.

I promise it tastes way better than it looks

Dandan noodles are traditionally a Chinese dish. They contain a spicy sauce, pickled vegetables and they often have a sesame paste. This recipe that I tried came from Food Network so it definitely had a more modern twist but it had the traditional components-spicy sauce, sesame paste, Chinese noodles and pickles.

Let me just say that I love sesame EVERYTHING!!  l love sesame oil, sesame candy, sesame seeds and so this recipe was pretty close to being sesame heaven for me. I also discovered an affinity for Chinese noodles and I was a little surprised just because I have not always had such great luck with Asian noodles...I have found a lot of them to be kind of on the gummy side and these noodles were more reminiscent of spaghetti.

The recipe called for half sour dill pickles and I couldn't find any so I used dill pickles. This was the first time I have come across a recipe that called for cooked pickles, but I just went with it and they added a nice crunch to the recipe and the vinegar taste of the dill pickles was a nice addition.

So the first thing I learned was how to make a sesame paste. Place the sesame seeds, sesame oil, sugar and salt into a food processor and blend until it is a paste consistency. This paste smelled so good!!!

The other thing this recipe taught me was how to prepare all of the ingredients prior to cooking when making a stir fry type meal. So first I chopped the pickles and put them in a bowl. Then I chopped the green onions, ginger, garlic, salt and sugar and put it in a bowl. Next I put the soy sauce and chicken broth in a bowl. Finally I put the pork, soy sauce and salt in another bowl. Sure I have a crap load of dishes that I have to do today, but it did help with the cooking process.

First cook the ground pork in vegetable oil, until it is cooked through but not dry. Remove it from the pan and toss it with additional soy sauce.

Next cook the pickles in vegetable oil. Add the garlic mixture and then add the broth, reducing it by half. Once that has been completed put the mixture in bowls and drizzle it with chili oil and balsamic vinegar.

Cook the noodles and bok choy in boiling water. Drain and toss with sesame oil. Top with the pork mixture and the sesame paste.


1/2 cup sesame seeds, toasted
4 tablespoons toasted sesame oil, plus more for serving
1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon sugar
Kosher salt
2 half-sour dill pickles
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced peeled ginger
4 scallions, finely chopped
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth or stock
8 ounces ground pork
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 to 4 teaspoons Chinese chili oil, plus more for serving
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
9 ounces dried Chinese egg noodles
1 medium head bok choy, sliced crosswise
Directions
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Pulse the sesame seeds in a mini food processor with 2 tablespoons sesame oil, 1 tablespoon sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt until powdery; set aside.

Prepare the stir-fry: Quarter, seed and finely dice the pickles and put in a bowl. In another bowl, mix the garlic, ginger, scallions, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon sugar. Mix 1 tablespoon soy sauce and the broth in a third bowl. Mix the pork with 1 tablespoon soy sauce and 1/2 teaspoon salt in another bowl. Place the four bowls by the stove.

Place a large skillet over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, then the pork, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until cooked but not dry, 4 minutes. Transfer the meat to a bowl and toss with the remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to the skillet; stir-fry the pickles for 1 minute. Add the garlic mixture and fry 30 seconds. Add the broth and boil until reduced by half, 4 minutes. Divide the broth among bowls and drizzle with the chili oil and vinegar.

Meanwhile, add the noodles and bok choy to the boiling water and cook until just tender, 2 minutes. Drain and toss with the remaining 2 tablespoons sesame oil. Season with salt, then divide among the bowls. Top with pork and sprinkle with sesame powder. Serve with more sesame and chili oil.

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/dan-dan-noodles-recipe/index.html?oc=linkback


This was truly reminiscent of comfort food. It had great flavors as it contrasted the nutty flavor of the sesame oil and paste, the spice from the chili oil and the tang of the vinegar and pickles. The noodles and broth added the feeling of just warm home cooked goodness and the pork, in my opinion, added some nice salty flavors, but this recipe could easily have been done as a vegetarian dish as well.

Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend! Cheers!!