Fuchsia Dunlop traditional dandan noodles (dandan mian)

D andan is Sichuan's most famous street snack. They were sold first by men wandering in the alleys of Chengdu, carrying their stoves, noodles and their secret recipe sauce in baskets hanging from a bamboo splint. Old people can remember their calls about mian Dandan mian! Dandan mian! Rings, resounding every quarter. Noodles are cheap and nutritious, and are eaten by people from the odd jobs to the very rich. The original name didn't refer to a particular type of noodles, but now it is closely linked to the following recipe.

Some say dandan noodles were first sold in the mid-19th century and were originally vegetarian; Only later, when they became popular in Chengdu, did people begin to add minced pork. They look quite innocent when served, but when you mix noodles in the sauce at the bottom of the bowl, they come alive with spice and taste.

Serve 2
Sesame paste 2 teaspoons
1 tbsp cooking oil
Yibin yacai or Tianjin preserved vegetables 2 tablespoons, washed and squeezed dry
Lightly soy sauce, 2 tablespoons
Soy sauce with ½ teaspoon
4 tbsp oil, plus 1 tbsp of dregs
Chinkiang vinegar 1 teaspoon
melted lard 2 teaspoons (optional)
roast Sichuan pepper ¼-½ spoon
2 tbsp green onions, only green
sliced ​​whole wheat bread 300g fresh or 200g
one handful of green vegetables

For topping
3 tablespoons cooking oil
ginger 1 teaspoon, minced
Minced pork (fat, if possible) 100g
Shaoxing wine ½ tablespoon
Sweet sauce 1 teaspoon powder
1 teaspoon soy sauce
Dark soy sauce ¼ teaspoon
salt

First do topping. Heat the cooking oil in a seasoned pan over high heat. Add ginger and stir fry quickly until you can smell it, then add pork and fry until it changes color. Splash in Shaoxing wine. When the pork has lost its water content and smells good, tilt the pan and push the meat aside to the oil tank in the sole. Add MSG to the oil and fry until you can smell it. Tilt the pan back and stir in the pork, followed by soy sauce. Stir well, then season with salt to taste and set aside.

Dilute sesame powder with about 2 teaspoons of oil from the jar, so that it has a consistency. Heat the cooking oil in a seasoned pan over medium heat. Add Yibin yacai and stir fry quickly until hot and fragrant. Divide sesame paste and yibin yacai between two bowls, along with all other ingredients except noodles and greens. Boil noodles to your liking, add greens in the last few seconds to wilt them. Put noodles and green vegetables into a colander and drain, then divide between the bowl and the head with the pork mixture. Mix everything together before eating.

MW