Sichuan Dan Dan Noodles with Crispy Mushroom-Walnut Crumble

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A bowl of chewy wheat noodles pooled in a nutty, tingly sesame-chili sauce, crowned with a savory crumble of shiitake mushrooms and walnuts browned until it crackles like the real thing. Chinkiang vinegar keeps it bright, toasted Sichuan peppercorn keeps it buzzing, and blanched baby bok choy tucked alongside makes it a full meal in about 45 minutes.

Ingredients

• 10 oz cremini mushrooms
• 4 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in hot water 20 minutes
• 3/4 cup walnut halves
• 2 tbsp neutral oil, such as canola or peanut
• 3 tbsp Sichuan preserved mustard greens (ya cai), rinsed and chopped
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tsp five-spice powder
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp grated fresh ginger

• 1 1/2 tsp Sichuan peppercorns
• 3 tbsp Chinese sesame paste or tahini
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 3 tbsp chili oil with sediment
• 2 tbsp Chinkiang black vinegar
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 3 cloves garlic, finely grated

• 12 oz fresh or dried wheat noodles (thin lo mein or ramen-style)
• 4 baby bok choy, halved lengthwise
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup roasted unsalted peanuts, roughly crushed
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Instructions

1. Drain the soaked shiitakes, squeeze them dry, and trim off the tough stems. Put them in a food processor with the cremini mushrooms and walnuts and pulse in 8 to 10 short bursts until everything is chopped to the size of coarse breadcrumbs — do not let it turn to paste. Work in two batches if your processor is small.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons neutral oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add the mushroom-walnut mixture and spread it flat. Cook undisturbed for 4 minutes, then stir and continue cooking 10 to 12 minutes more, stirring every 2 minutes, until the liquid has evaporated and the crumble is deep brown, dry, and beginning to crisp at the edges.
3. Stir in the chopped preserved mustard greens, garlic, and ginger and cook 45 seconds until fragrant. Add the Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and five-spice powder and cook 1 to 2 minutes, stirring, until the pan is dry again. Scrape into a bowl and set aside; it will crisp further as it sits.
4. Toast the Sichuan peppercorns in a dry small skillet over medium heat for 60 to 90 seconds, shaking constantly, until fragrant. Cool 2 minutes, then grind to a powder in a spice grinder or crush with a mortar and pestle. Sift out any large husks.
5. In a medium bowl, whisk the sesame paste with the soy sauce a tablespoon at a time until smooth (it will seize before it loosens — keep whisking). Whisk in the chili oil, black vinegar, sugar, sesame oil, grated garlic, and 1 teaspoon of the ground Sichuan peppercorn. Thin with 3 to 4 tablespoons warm water until it pours like heavy cream.
6. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and add the kosher salt. Drop in the halved bok choy and blanch 90 seconds, until the stems are crisp-tender and the leaves are bright green. Lift out with tongs and set aside.
7. Return the water to a boil and cook the noodles according to package directions, usually 3 minutes for fresh and 5 to 6 minutes for dried, until just tender with a little chew. Before draining, reserve 1 cup of the noodle water. Drain the noodles but do not rinse them.
8. Divide the sauce among 4 deep bowls, about 3 tablespoons each, and splash 2 tablespoons of hot noodle water into each to loosen it. Pile in the hot noodles, then top each bowl with a generous quarter of the mushroom-walnut crumble, 2 bok choy halves, scallions, crushed peanuts, sesame seeds, and a pinch of the remaining ground Sichuan peppercorn.
9. Serve immediately and tell everyone to stir hard from the bottom up so every strand gets coated.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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