Yunnan Cold Rice Noodle Salad (Liangban Mixian, 凉拌米线,)
The Mala MarketIngredients
- 6 ounces dried rice noodles, preferably mixian (or 1 pound fresh rice noodles)
- 1 garlic clove
- ¼ cup light soy sauce preferably Zhongba
- 2½ tablespoons Baoning or Shanxi vinegar
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon red or green Sichuan pepper oil (see Note)
- ¼ teaspoon chili oil
- Small handful maitake mushrooms
- Vegetable oil
- 1 medium carrot (about 7 inches long)
- ¼ Chinese or English cucumber (about 3 inches)
- ¼ teaspoon sesame oil
- Cilantro leaves, to garnish
- Chili crisp, to garnish
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the dried noodles. Let them boil until they’re tender but still just a bit chewy/firm in the center; 10–12 minutes for Yunnan mixian. (If you pull on one of the noodles, it should stretch a bit). Turn off the heat and let the noodles keep soaking for 5–7 minutes, until they’re bouncy and tender all the way through. Rinse the noodles under cold water to stop the cooking and remove excess starch and set them aside.
- Mince the garlic and then use the side of the knife (or a mortar and pestle) to crush and scrape it into a paste. Transfer it to a small bowl or a jar and mix in the soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, Sichuan pepper oil and chili oil; mix everything until the sugar has dissolved and set the sauce aside.
- Trim the hard stem ends off of the mushrooms and pull them into long thin strips. Put them into a wok or a small pot, add enough oil to cover, and cook them over medium heat until they are golden and starting to turn crisp along the edges but aren’t hard and crisp all the way through. Remove them from the oil and set them aside to drain on paper towels.
- Use a mandolin with teeth or a julienne peeler to cut the carrot and cucumber into long, thin strips.
- To serve, pile the noodles into a wide, low bowl and pour the sauce around the bottom of them, so that it pools at the base. Top the noodles with the shredded vegetables and fried mushrooms, then finish the dish with the sesame oil, a handful of cilantro leaves and a scoop of chili crisp. Serve immediately, before the sauce starts to soak into the noodles, and mix everything together, so the flavors are well distributed (once everyone has had a chance to admire it on the table).
Notes
If you want to make your own Sichuan pepper oil using red peppercorns, put ½ cup of vegetable oil and ¼ cup of Sichuan peppercorns into a small pot and heat them on medium. When the peppercorns start to fizzle, turn the heat to low, and cook, stirring frequently, until the oil takes on the spice's numbing feeling and citrus-like flavor, about 10 minutes. The peppercorns will darken a bit, but don't let them brown or you'll end up with a burnt flavor. Transfer the mixture to a heat-proof container to cool.