HOISIN CHINA NOODLES WITH FOUR FLAVORS
THE FOUR FLAVORS
- 1½ cups thin-sliced radishes
- 1½ cups bean sprouts
- 1½ cups peeled, seeded, and diced cucumbers
- 1½ cups thin-sliced fresh spinach leaves
- 5 quarts salted water in a 6-quart pot
- ¾ pound narrow Chinese egg noodles or imported spaghetti
- 1 pound ground pork butt
- 3 tablespoons dry sherry
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- ½ teaspoon hot chile paste or hot chile powder (use more or less to taste)
- 3 tablespoons expeller-pressed canola oil or other neutral-tasting oil
- Heaping ½ cup thin-sliced whole scallions (about 4)
- ½ cup sliced water chestnuts
- ¾ cup Cheater’s Homemade Chicken Broth or canned chicken broth
Instructions:
There’s a curious juxtaposition in Chinese food. Marrying flavors into a complex whole is a technique the Chinese do best, yet no other cuisine plays opposing textures with the precision that they do.
- Place each of the “four flavors” in a separate small serving bowl.
- Bring the salted water to a boil. Drop the noodles into the boiling water and boil, stirring often, until tender but still firm to the bite. Drain them in a colander and rinse thoroughly with cold water. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, use a fork to blend the pork with the sherry, garlic, and sugar. Let stand while prepping the rest of the dish.
- In a small bowl, blend together the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, and chile paste.
- Heat a wok or a large skillet over high heat. Swirl in the oil. When it is hot, add the pork and stir-fry for 3 minutes, breaking up any chunks. The meat is ready when it is no longer pink and most of its liquid has cooked off. Add the scallions and water chestnuts. Stir-fry for 45 seconds more.
- Stir in the soy sauce mixture, and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the broth and heat quickly. Then cook, stirring, for 2½ minutes over high heat.
- Add the noodles and stir-fry for 1 minute to permeate the noodles with the sauce. Turn the noodles into a large bowl. Serve them immediately, with the bowls of the four flavors.