Peanut Butter/Sesame Noodles

[rockycat]

I find myself with a ridiculously large amount of leftover unsauced capellini and a taste for sesame noodles. I've never made a version I've been entirely happy with. Any tried and true recipes out there that you're willing to share?

Thanks.

[baruch]

I just made this, getting some hints from the forum and following the memory of my old photographer friend from Beijing, he made it with Miso instead of PB and threw in some scrambled eggs!

1 egg scrambled (dry), set aside

miso sauce
4T miso
2-3T sugar
4T tea or broth
mix and set aside

1 dried chili
1T garlic minced
1T ginger minced
1 hot green chili minced
1 small onion thinly sliced
a couple of dried shiitake, soaked, thinly sliced
other vegetables
(I used a few turkish peppers (like bell peppers but lighter and softer) and a minced carrot.)

heat oil in the wok, add dried chili, when it darkens, add shiitake, stir, add garlic, ginger, onions, fry until onions translucent, add fresh chili & other veg fry a bit, add miso sauce and the scrambled egg, add more liquid if necessary some soy sauce cook until veg are soft, add sesame oil at the end, toss with hot noodles, garnish with chopped fresh tomato green onions and roasted sesame

[The Professor]

Whatever you do, use either fresh ground peanut butter as someone suggested or use one of the "natural" brands that aren't made with hydrogenated oil. Using Skippy, Jif, or anything like them for a cold noodle dish will be pretty yucky. A spoonful of tahini in there wouldn't hurt either.

[Antilope]

Thai Style Peanut Dipping Sauce

4 tbsp peanut butter (smooth or crunchy)
2 tbsp salad oil
4 tbsp soy sauce
4 tbsp granulated sugar
4 tbsp distilled vinegar
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
2 tsp Sriracha hot chili sauce (more or less to taste), Tabasco can be substituted if Sriracha is unavailable
1/8 tsp ground coriander

Mix well with whisk.

Serve over hot or cold noodles or on pot stickers or as a spring roll dipping sauce.

[bear]

I really like Ina Garten's recipe.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/szechuan-noodles-recipe/index.html

Here's a link to a video of Joanne Chang making the recipe from Myers and Chang in Boston that alwayscooking suggests. It's from TV Diner in the Boston area. Fun to watch and looks great, although I haven't tried her recipe yet.

http://www.necn.com/tvdiner/Cooking-w...

[rockycat]

These all sound great. Looks like I'll have to make multiple batches. Poor, pitiful me. ;-)

[rockycat]

I ended up making a version of the Myers + Chang recipe. I subbed out for some things I didn't have and added more of all the liquid ingredients because my sauce seemed thinner than I would have preferred. I overshot the chili-garlic sauce (one of my subs) ever so slightly but it still tasted great. Authentic? Hardly. A tasty quick dinner? Heck, yeah.

[kattyeyes]

File this under "You really do learn something new every day!" I never knew this dish was Dan Dan Noodles. I've seen it on menus (and here on CH) and didn't realize. Here in the Land of Steady Habits, it often appears on menus as "Cold Noodles in Sesame Sauce." Glad your twist on this was enjoyable. :)

[alwayscooking]

My fav - I substitute fresh ground peanut butter for the nuts. It's from Myers + Chang in Boston.

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/da...

[aravenel]

I make this recipe a good bit, and it's delicious. I cut back the oil and use pre-roasted peanuts. It's not the most authentic dan-dan recipe out there, but man it's good.

[harryharry]

here's my recipe: 3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and grated (microplane)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1/2 cup good soy sauce
1/4 cup dry sherry/chinese cooking wine (optional)
1/4 cup honey and/or sweet chili sauce
1/2 teaspoon sriracha or chili paste or chili oil
2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
sometimes I add some rice vinegar and/or coconut milk and/or extra sweet chili

Now I might need to make some - yummy!

[sixshootergirl]

wow that sounds fantastic! i think i need to make this soon :)

[MarkC]

I made this last night according to your recipe. It was delicious, but a little strongly flavored. Next time, I think I would cut the soy sauce in half, and hold back a little on some of the other ingredients as well. Great though, a real keeper.

Responding to a post further down, authentic dan dan noodles are with pork and chili oil, and bear no resemblance to the peanut butter version, which is a thorougly americanized dish. Be sure to check if you are in an authentic szechwan restaurant.

[kattyeyes]

I dug out my old recipe:

1/4 cup creamy PB or sesame butter
4 tsp. brewed tea
1 T + 2 tsp. soy sauce
1 T chili oil
2 tsp. sesame oil
2 tsp. wine vinegar
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 scallion, chopped
1 large carrot, julienned (I prefer julienned cucumber)

Now I'm craving this dish, too. Enjoy!

[foxy fairy]

I want to try this one, kattyeyes. I have tried a couple of excellent ones recently. I like the addition of brewed tea here. Yum. I add steamed broccoli to mine, plus a little sauteed garlic and ginger, and often sauteed red bell pepper too.

Can you taste the tea???

[kattyeyes]

It's been too long, but I don't recall being able to taste the tea--only remember thinking it was tasty. I like your add-ins; they make it more of a meal.

[foxy fairy]

Yes, the add-ins are great and that way I don't feel so guilty about gobbling it all up because I'm getting some veggies too :) Sometimes I add chicken, and then I can feel quite virtuous due to the protein involvement, LOL! Do you still make your version of the noodles?

[kattyeyes]

I haven't in a long time, only because I seem to be the only one who enjoys them (not just MY version, but peanut butter noodles in general). It's part of my official recipe book and on one of the cards in the sleeves (nothing makes it to "the book" unless I've tried it and really liked it). Do give it a try and see what you think. I remember it tasted pretty close to "the real thing." I also think Pumpkinseed is probably right re depth of flavor.

[Pumpkinseed]

The noodle recipe I've been using for years also calls for hot brewed tea, and no, when you eat the noodles you don't taste the tea at all in any conspicuous way. I suppose hot water would work fine, too, but I'd like to think that the tea adds a bit of depth to the flavor of the sauce.

[cheesecake17]

I don't really measure the ingredients but here's what I use- few spoonfuls of peant butter (fresh ground), splash of soy sauce and rice vinegar, spoonful of hot water (to loosen up the peanut butter), few grates of ginger, salt, red pepper flakes. I top it with sesame seeds and I put chopped scallions on the side. I think it's important that the dressing be looser than you would think it should be.. b/c the noodles absorb a lot of sauce.