takeout diy

Dan Dan Noodles and Szechuan Cucumber Salad

Never been a big fan of Chinese food. My folks always teased me that I must have been adopted because I was missing the Asian cuisine gene. I think it just skipped a generation—my daughter loves it in spades. Or maybe it has something to do with the restaurants I’d been frequenting because once I discovered the newly transplanted Han Dynasty of Philadelphia fame, I was totally smitten. It was love at first bite of their Wontons in Chili Oil, Dry Pepper Chicken Wings and Eggplant in Garlic Sauce. But my two favorite dishes were these and they’re in perfect harmony with each other: hot and spicy, cool and tangy. These recipes may be complex in flavor but are surprisingly easy to cook, making them a small triumph over settling for takeout. Chinese tonight?

Dan Dan Noodles. If you’ve never tried this traditional Chinese street food, you’re in for a treat. They’re kind of like sesame noodles on steroids. The base of this recipe, a rich chili sesame sauce, coats fresh flour noodles which are topped with caramelized pork, preserved cabbage and garlic. Spicy and intense, these noodles will set your mouth on fire and your heart aflutter.

The second dish that won me over is Szechuan Cucumber Salad: seedless chunks of cuke drowned in a zesty piquant sauce that is finger-lickingly addictive. As you might expect, both of these recipes had a list of some hard to find ingredients, but I’ve come up with readily available substitutes that you’ll be able to find at your local Asian market or the ethnic aisle of your grocery store.

Make the cucumber salad first to give it time to marinate. I usually prefer to use kirby or hothouse cucumbers for most of my recipes, but traditional cukes have meatier flesh and are a better fit here. Peel and trim the cucumbers, slice them in half lengthwise and then scoop the seeds from center using a melon baller.

Cut cuke halves in half again lengthwise, then slice into large chunks. Place in a colander and toss with salt—this will help remove their excess moisture. Set aside to drain.

The kick in this salad comes from the red pepper in the dressing; I use Korean ground red pepper which I already had on hand, but red pepper flakes from your spice drawer will work as well.

To make the dressing, heat oil in a small skillet over medium low heat. Add minced garlic and ground red pepper or red pepper flakes.

Cook until garlic turns golden then turn off heat and let cool slightly.

In a medium bowl, combine rice vinegar and sesame oil. Stir in cooled garlic mixture. Blot excess moisture off cucumbers with a paper towel then add to the bowl. Toss to combine. Marinate in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

This noodle dish truly benefits from the use of fresh noodles found in the refrigerated section of an Asian market–I often shop at H Mart when I need special ingredients like these. If you don’t have an Asian market near you, you can substitute somen noodles or rounded udon noodles, which should be easily located in the ethnic section of your market. Even spaghetti will do in a pinch.

In a medium skillet, heat 1/2 tablespoon canola oil over medium high heat. Add ground pork and garlic and cook, stirring often, until pork is cooked through.

Chinese preserved vegetables–called for in the original recipe–may be difficult to find. They were for me, so I substituted Korean kimchi, or pickled cabbage, which is similar. If you can’t find either, you can omit this ingredient.

Chop cabbage finely and add to the pork along with 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce. Cook until the meat is golden, then turn off heat.

Another tricky ingredient to find for this dish is sesame paste, but tahini makes a perfect substitute. I use a chopstick to stir mine well before using in recipes. In a medium bowl, whisk together remaining 2 tablespoons canola oil and tahini until blended.

Add water, 1/3 cup soy sauce, chili oil, hot sesame oil and sugar. Whisk all until emulsified.

Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook noodles according to package instructions. Drain well.

Pour sesame sauce into a serving bowl and add cooked noodles. Top with cooked pork mixture. Toss noodles table side and serve the cucumber salad alongside.

Szechuan Cucumber Salad
Adapted from Appetite for China
Serves 4:

2 large cucumbers
kosher salt
3 tablespoons canola oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon ground red pepper or red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugar

Dan Dan Noodles
Adapted from Chef Han Chiang, Han Dynasty
Serves 4:

2 1/2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
1/4 cup ground pork
1/2 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons preserved Chinese vegetables, or Korean kimchi
1/3 cup plus 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce, divided
2 tablespoons tahini
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons chili oil
1/2 teaspoon hot sesame oil
2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 pound flour noodles, preferably fresh, or somen, udon or spaghetti

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