Dragon Noodles

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Dragon Noodles

 

1/4 cup sesame oil

1 tablespoon Chinese chili sauce

2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons juice from pickled ginger

1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 1/2 tablespoons Japanese rice vinegar

2 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 pound very thin fresh Chinese egg noodles (yoiu can sub for another noodle)

Grated rind of 1 lemon

2 tablespoons black or brown sesame seeds, toasted in a dry, heavy skillet until

fragrant

3/4 cup thinly sliced scallions

 

Garnish:

Grated red radish

Julienne of scallions (both green and white)

Toasted black sesame seeds

 

In a bowl combine the oil, chili sauce, soy sauce, pickled ginger juice, lemon

juice, rice vinegar, sugar and salt. Whisk to blend and set the bowl aside.

In a colander fluff the noodles to separate and untangle the strands. Bring a

large saucepan of water to a rolling boil. Add the noodles and swish them gently

with chopsticks. Let them cook for 2 minutes or until the noodles are tender but

still have some bite. Drain them, plunge them briefly into ice water, then drain

again. Shake the colander to remove excess moisture and transfer the noodles to

a bowl.

Whisk the dressing again to combine it. Toss the noodles with just enough of the

dressing to moisten them well, using your fingers to coat and separate the

strands. Let the noodles sit for 10 minutes.

Taste the noodles. If they seem dry, add a bit more dressing and toss again. Add

the lemon rind, black sesame seeds and scallion rings and toss well.

Taste the noodles again. They should be bright and sparkly. Cover them tightly

and refrigerate up to one day.

Bring the noodles to room temperature. Mound the noodles in a bowl or twirl them

in individual bowls. Garnish each dish with grated red radish, scallion and

black sesame seeds.

Serves 2 or 3.