Sesame Peanut Noodles

Method

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1. Bring a large pan of water to a boil and cook the noodles to the packet time. Reserve 250 ml of the cooking water, then drain and rinse the noodles under cold water until completely cool.

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2. While they cook, whisk the peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, garlic, ginger and chilli oil in a large bowl. It will be very stiff.

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3. Add the hot noodle water a tablespoon at a time, whisking hard after each addition. It will look broken at first, then come together into a smooth, pourable sauce — you will need about 150 ml.

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4. Drain the cooled noodles thoroughly and add them to the bowl.

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5. Toss with tongs until every strand is coated, loosening with more noodle water if it tightens.

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6. Fold through the spring onions and cucumber.

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7. Serve topped with sesame seeds, coriander, peanuts and more chilli oil.

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Chef’s Tips

• Add the water gradually. Poured in all at once the sauce splits and will not come back.
• Rinse the noodles cold. Warm noodles keep absorbing and the dish goes stodgy.
• It thickens in the fridge; loosen with a splash of water rather than more sauce.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• Out of spring onions? A small regular onion, finely sliced, or a few chives stirred in at the end both cover the job.
• A pinch of dried chilli flakes works in place of fresh chilli — start with about a third of the quantity the chilli in the list implies, since dried chilli is more concentrated, and add more to taste.
• A quarter-teaspoon of ground ginger per tablespoon of fresh is the standard ratio if you are working from the spice rack rather than a fresh root.

Pairing Suggestions

• Smacked cucumber
• A cold lager
• Crispy chilli oil

Storage & Reheating

Refrigerated for 3 days. Loosen with water and re-toss before eating.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.