Episode 40: Dan Dan Noodles
My little brother and I were notoriously picky eaters
when we were younger. Think, like, Meg Ryan in
When Harry Met Sally, "We'll have a BLT on
whole wheat with mayo on the side and only if the
tomatoes are ripe. If they're not ripe, we'll have
turkey sandwiches with cheddar cheese and onions but
oniy if they're red onions and deli mustard. On the
side."
I have vivid memories of other
peoples' parents scolding us because we wouldn't eat
our vegetables. Today's dish - Dan Dan Noodles - was
one of the one things my brother would ingest happy,
however he'd order it with chicken and veggies...you
guessed it...on the side.
Let's give Matthew the benefit of the doubt and assume he (like me) has grown out of his "on the side" phase. Assuming that, I think he'd be happy with my recreation of the only Chinese meal he ever ordered.
In researching this recipe, I came upon a scenario I've never encountered. Usually in my research, I look at 20 or so recipes, and they're pretty similar - same ingredients, variations on proportion and spicing, but generally, most dishes have a template. Dan Dan Noodles was the first dish I researched where every single recipe was completely different. And I must have looked at 45 of them, really.
The only thing most of these recipes had in common was the Szechuan Peppercorn, which most listed as essential to the distinct flavor of the Dan Dan sauce. So, I went to my gourmet grocery - my secret source for all special ingredients - and bought some. I'm not sure if it made a huge difference, because I didn't test without it, but sometimes I like going the extra mile and experimenting with new stuff. So I'd say it was worth it and that you should also invest the $6 in the occasional special ingredient. Keeps things interesting.
Otherewise, Dan Dan is straightfoward. Like I say in the video, it's always daunting making Asian cuisine, because Americanized versions of these dishes can sometimes turn out so badly that they ruin the original. But no fear here, I did the extensive research so you don't have to.
Enjoy your Dan Dan! Let me know how it comes out!
