texeira.coffee

Peanut Noodles

Makes two large servings.

Ingredients

• 250 to 500 grams protein of your choice
• 500 grams noodles: cooked, drained, and rinsed in cold water
  • Reserve 250ml of the cooking water (approx 1 cup) for later
• 2-3 green onions, sliced and divided between whites and greens
• A hand full of unsalted roasted and shelled peanuts

For the Sauce

• 2 heaping tablespoons smooth peanut butter without sugar
• 1 tbsp tahini
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp sriracha
• 1 tsp MSG
• 1 tsp ground white pepper
• 1 tbsp palm or brown sugar
• A knob of ginger, about the size of the top joint of your thumb, grated

Directions

Prepare the noodles, remember to reserve some of the cooking water.

Cook your protein through, to safe temperature and reserve.

Combine and mix the ingredients for the sauce in a small bowl. Add the reserved cooking water and stir it in.

Heat a wok over high heat until smoking, then turn heat to medium and add 3 tablespoons of a high heat oil. Peanut oil is recommended. Add the whites of the green onions stirring and tossing with vigor to prevent burning.

Add the cooked protein.

Add the cooked noodles and toss to combine and coat them with oil.

Add the sauce and stir fry for a minute or so, tossing and stirring often.

Take off heat. Add the peanuts and greens from the onions.

Serve in bowls with more peanuts, sliced green onion greens, and chili crisp.

Notes

Through trial and error, I found the best way to get a sauce that’s silky and clings to the noodles without glopping up is to add the hot, starchy water from cooking the noodles.

Spaghetti will work, but a wide, flat alkaline noodle is better.

I’ve tried this with chopped up chicken thighs, ground (minced) pork, and beef. Have not tried it with tofu.

I make no claims to authenticity. There are a lot of peanut noodle dishes out there. Some have a cold sauce on cold noodles. Some appear to be variations on sesame noodles. People adapt dishes to what ingredients are available. Tomato paste spread on a tortilla is a pizza, as anyone who lived aboard the International Space Station.