Know your noodles

BY COLLEEN SIMPSON

There is little that is more satisfying than sitting down to a bowl full of steaming hot noodles, knowing them to be both delicious and nourishing.

Wok fried, swimming in a broth, chilled in a salad, or served on their own, noodles are truly food for the soul as well as the stomach.

Once upon a time the only noodles New Zealand cooks knew were vermicelli; the egg variety that might occasionally make an appearance in homemade chow mein; and the type to which you added hot water and a flavour sachet. Thankfully, we now have a vast choice of both the fresh and dried varieties and no doubt we all have our favourites.

Dried noodles in the pantry means a meal in minutes and the simplicity of these edible strings means they are as appetising when served hot on the side with just a little sesame oil or soy sauce drizzled over, or as an entire meal as part of a more complicated dish.

You can add almost anything alongside them in a wok, or with broth in a pot and the end result will be both tasty and quite likely gone before you have time to remember what you put in.

Ginger and spring onion noodles

A useful sauce and a bowl of nourishing noodles - what's not to like? Serves two.

Sauce:

2 ½ cups spring onions (white part only), cut lengthwise and crosswise into thin slices

2 Tbsp minced ginger

1/3 cup grapeseed or other neutral oil

1 ½ tsp light soy sauce

¾ tsp sherry vinegar

¾ tsp salt, or more to taste

Combine the spring onions, ginger, oil, soy sauce, vinegar and salt in a medium bowl. Mix well to form a chunky sauce. Taste and adjust the salt, adding more as needed.

Use immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Noodles:

170g ramen noodles

6 Tbsp ginger spring onion sauce

¼cup sliced bamboo shoots (canned)

¼ cup pickled cucumber slices* 1/4 cup cooked cauliflower florets

¼ cup sliced spring onions, for garnish

1 sheet toasted nori, for garnish

Cook the ramen noodles according to the package directions. Drain, then combine with the sauce in a large, wide, shallow bowl.

Top with the bamboo, cucumber slices, cauliflower and spring onions and toasted nori. Serve warm or at room temperature.

* To make the pickled cucumber, cut 350g of cucumber crosswise into slices about 3mm thick. Place in a bowl with 1 Tbsp sugar and 1 tsp salt. Toss to coat. Leave for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Los Angeles Times

Fragrant beef and udon noodle soup

This dish is one best eaten as soon as it's assembled, preferably with chopsticks, soup spoon and a napkin to soak up the inevitable broth splashes. Definitely worth the effort and destined to impress.

Serves 2 to 3.

3 tsp freshly grated ginger

3 cloves garlic, minced, divided measure

300g piece rump steak

1 tsp honey

1 litre of good quality beef stock

½ cinnamon stick

1 Tbsp soy sauce

1cm lemongrass, chopped very finely

1 tsp frying oil

2 packets udon noodles

1 baby bok choi, shredded

1 small red chilli, sliced finely

1 generous handful mung beans

½ cup fresh coriander

Take 1 tsp of the ginger and one minced garlic clove and rub over steak and set aside. Place the stock in a large pot along with the honey, ginger, remaining garlic, cinnamon stick, lemongrass and soy and gently bring to the boil to allow the broth to take on the aromatic flavours. Once boiling, reduce the temperature, take the cinnamon stick out and let the liquid simmer while you cook the steak.

Heat the oil in a heavy pan, and sear the steak on each side for two to three minutes. Take off pan, place on a chopping board and slice thinly. Place the udon noodles in the pot with the broth, heat for 1 minute and then add steak, bok choi and chilli. Serve in a bowl and top with mung beans and lots of coriander.

Noodle fritters

These fritters are a fun way to get the younger members of the family into eating eggs, herbs and capsicums. Don't fret if your fritters aren't tidy. It just adds to their allure.

1 pkt two-minute noodles

2 eggs

1 Tbsp roughly chopped fresh coriander

1Tbsp finely chopped red onion

1 Tbsp finely chopped red capsicum

Salt and pepper to season

Oil for frying

Cook noodles as per directions, but do not use flavour satchet. Drain noodles. Crack eggs into a bowl and whisk, add drained noodles, coriander, onion, capsicum, salt and pepper. Heat oil in a non-stick pan and once hot, add four pikelet-sized dollops. Cook for one to two minutes then flip and cook until egg is set. Goes well with sweet Thai chilli sauce. Serves one.

Know your noodles

Udon: A wheat-based noodle commonly used in Japanese cooking. There are many ways to use these thick white noodles, including adding them straight to a broth or wok without prior cooking. Great for slurping.

Ramen: Also used in Japanese cooking, the ramen noodle is thinner than their udon cousins, but has similar purposes. Soba: Thin noodles made from buckwheat flour. Often the noodle of choice for chilled dishes.

Vermicelli: Very thin rice noodles, also known as cellophane noodles, the kind used in chop suey. Soak in warm or hot water briefly until soft. Good added to fresh spring rolls, chilled in salads or added to stock to make a soup.

Egg: Available in varying thicknesses. Cook in boiling water and then add to a stir-fry. Delicious served with stir- fried Asian greens with a drop or two of sesame oil.

- © Fairfax NZ News