Celebrity chef Andrew Zimmern’s recipe for sesame noodles comes straight from his travels in Southeast Asia. Soy sauce, rice vinegar, and peanut butter are only the beginning: Chef Zimmern encourages everyone to visit an Asian market for fresh Chinese egg noodles, Sichuan peppercorns, and toasted sesame paste (or you can go online).
| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 45 min |
| Active: | 45 min |
| Yield: | 6 servings |
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh, thin ?nested? Chinese egg noodles, or dried thin Chinese egg noodles
- kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns, toasted in a small skillet over medium heat for 1 minute
- 1/4 cup roasted peanut oil, plus 1?2 teaspoons to toss into the cooked noodles
- 6 tablespoons soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1/4 cup toasted sesame oil
- 5 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 3 1/2 tablespoons mirin
- 3 tablespoons toasted sesame paste, or tahini
- 3 tablespoons natural peanut butter
- 1 small shallot, peeled and halved
- 1 fresh Thai red chili, halved and seeded, divided, or serrano pepper
- 1 clove garlic, small, smashed
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
- Small handful cilantro sprigs, divided
- 1 large seedless cucumber
- 1 scallion
Instructions
- Noodles: Bring a large pot of salted water to a simmer (water should be as salty as seawater). Meanwhile, gently unroll the fresh noodle “nests” to aerate and separate the strands prior to boiling. Place noodles into simmering water, gently stir and cook until al dente, 2½–3 minutes. Drain, then immediately rinse under cold water to chill. Toss with 1–2 teaspoons peanut oil and set aside.
- Sauce, part 1: In a blender, combine peppercorns, peanut oil, soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, mirin, sesame paste, peanut butter, shallot, ½ chili, garlic, ginger, and a few sprigs cilantro. Set aside.
- Prepare garnish: Cut a 2½-inch piece from the cucumber; slice piece into wide planks, stack, and slice into matchsticks. (Reserve the remainder for another use, or use as additional garnish.) Slice remaining half of chili into fine matchsticks. Thinly slice light green part of the scallion on a 45-degree angle. Set garnish aside.
- Sauce, part 2: Purée sauce until it is smooth with a thin consistency, about 1 minute. Taste to adjust the seasoning with salt if necessary. Makes about 2 cups. (Sauce can be stored in the refrigerator up to 3 days.)
- Assembly: Evenly divide noodles into 4 bowls. Using a bulb baster, drizzle 3-4 tablespoons of sauce over the noodles. Garnish each bowl with a sprig of cilantro, scallions, fresh chili, and a little bundle of cucumber. Serve immediately.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 12 servings |
| Calories | 304 |
| Total Fat | 15 g |
| Saturated Fat | 3 g |
| Carbohydrates | 35 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 5 g |
| Protein | 8 g |
| Cholesterol | 32 mg |
| Sodium | 454 mg |
Reviews
Absolutely delicious and the best recipe I’ve ever found for cold sesame noodles! I used a 1pkg. + 1 bundle of dried Lo Mein but maybe should have added a second bundle. The sauce yields a lot and will be on the saltier side (I added none) but the noodles do a good job of soaking them up…make sure they are al dente!! Make it as above the first time and I think you’ll see the results are perfect!
Oh my goodness!! Where has this been all of my life!?!?! So good and easy to make.
Delicious