The great classic of Shanghai noodles: wheat noodles tossed in a fragrant, crispy homemade scallion oil, seasoned with a mix of soy sauce and sugar. A minimalist dish where every ingredient counts.
Ingredients
- 400 g Fresh Chinese wheat noodles
- 4 bunches Scallions
- 150 ml Sunflower oil
- 4 tbsp Light soy sauce
- 2 tbsp Dark soy sauce
- 2 tbsp Granulated sugar
- to taste Salt
Method
- Wash and carefully dry the scallions. Cut them into segments a few inches long. Carefully separate the white parts (bulb and pale stem) from the dark green parts, as they do not cook at the same rate.
- Pour the oil into a wok or a deep, heavy-bottomed skillet. Heat over medium. Drop the white scallion parts into the still-warm oil for a gradual release of flavors.
- Fry over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes, until the whites begin to lightly brown and the oil gives off a sweet, mild onion aroma.
- Add the green parts. Turn the heat down to low. Simmer gently for 10 to 15 minutes, carefully stirring from time to time, until all the scallions are dark brown and crispy, and the oil is deeply fragrant. Watch closely during the final minutes: the line between perfectly caramelized and burnt is very fine.
- Remove the crispy scallions with a slotted spoon and drain them on paper towels. Set aside. They will firm up and stay crispy as they cool.
- Remove the wok from the heat. Carefully pour the light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and sugar into the still-hot oil. Stir gently until the sugar is completely dissolved. The sauce will sizzle slightly as it hits the hot oil; this is normal. Set this scallion oil sauce aside.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook according to the package directions, generally 2 to 4 minutes for fresh noodles, until tender but still firm to the bite. Stir once immediately after dunking them to prevent sticking.
- Drain the noodles, reserving a small ladle of the cooking water. Immediately transfer the hot noodles to a large serving bowl: the heat is essential for the sauce to cling properly to the strands.
- Pour the scallion oil sauce over the noodles. Toss vigorously with chopsticks or kitchen tongs, lifting and separating the strands, until every noodle is glossy and evenly coated. If the sauce seems too concentrated, thin it with a splash of the reserved cooking water. Taste and adjust the salt if necessary.
- Portion the noodles into individual bowls. Generously scatter the reserved crispy scallions on top. Serve immediately, piping hot, inviting everyone to give it one last stir before eating to distribute the crunch.
Nutrition
Per serving
- Energy
- 646.5 kcal
- Protein
- 10.87 g
- Carbohydrate
- 61.44 g
- Fat
- 39.01 g
- Fibre
- 2.58 g
- Calcium
- 7.31 mg
- Iron
- 0.41 mg
- Magnesium
- 21.45 mg
