Guirong Wei’s home-style sauces for Chinese noodles – recipes

1 week ago 6

My restaurants are all about the noodles – fresh hand-pulled biang biang noodles in particular. They’re not the easiest things to make, though, and are certainly not something a novice would want to tackle for a midweek meal at home, which is where shop-bought alternatives come in so handy. If possible, buy fresh “knife-cut” noodles from a Chinese or Asian food store – ideally wider, flat ones, though very young children will probably find dragon whisker noodles easier to handle. Today’s two recipes are both quick and easy home-style sauces that will bring comforting flavours to your table in no time. At my restaurants, we even serve a dish that combines the two, and it’s incredibly popular, so once you’ve got the hang of these, you might want to try recreating that at home, too.

Egg and tomato sauce noodles (pictured top)

This combines the natural sweetness and sourness of tomatoes with the silky texture of scrambled eggs, creating a light yet flavourful sauce that pairs brilliantly with wide noodles, in particular. It’s a good choice for busy days, because it calls for only a few simple ingredients and is on the table in less than half an hour.

Prep 10 min
Cook 15 min
Serves 2

2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 eggs
200g fresh wheat noodles (the Jingdu brand can be found in many Asian supermarkets), or dried wheat noodles
2-3 large tomatoes (I use vine ones), blanched in boiling water and peeled, ideally, then diced (or use 1 drained tinned tomato as a convenient alternative)
1 tsp light soy sauce
Salt
1 tsp black rice vinegar – I use Heng Shun Chinkiang vinegar
1½ tsp potato starch, or cornflour, mixed with 50ml water
1 spring onion, trimmed and chopped, to garnish (optional)

Put half the oil in a medium saucepan on a medium heat. Beat the eggs, pour them into the hot pan and stir-fry until just set and scrambled. Scoop the eggs into a bowl.

Bring a pot of water to a boil, add your chosen noodles, cook according to packet instructions, then drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, pour the remaining oil into the saucepan, add the chopped tomato and cook, stirring occasionally, for three to five minutes, until soft and juicy. Stir in the soy sauce and 100ml water, bring to a simmer and cook for two to three minutes.

Return the scrambled eggs to the saucepan, mix in well, season with salt to taste – you’ll need about half a teaspoon – then stir in the vinegar. Tip in the starch water and stir vigorously for about 30 seconds, until the sauce thickens. It’s now ready to plate.

Divide the cooked noodles between two bowls, pour the egg and tomato sauce all over the top, garnish with chopped spring onion, if using, and serve hot.

Zhajiang noodles

This savoury, umami-rich meat sauce, for which minced pork is stir-fried with fermented bean paste, is a quick and satisfying option for a hearty midweek family meal that takes plain noodles to another level. Look for the bean paste in Chinese and Asian food stores, or online.

Prep 10 min
Cook 20 min
Serves 2

1 tsp dark soy sauce
50g sweet bean paste
½ tbsp vegetable oil
2 spring onions, chopped, white and green parts kept separate
1 tbsp minced ginger
200g pork mince
1 tsp Shaoxing wine
200g fresh wheat noodles (the Jingdu brand can be found in many Asian supermarkets), or dried wheat noodles
1½ tsp potato starch, or cornflour, mixed with 50ml cold water
½ cucumber, shredded, to garnish

Mix the soy, bean paste and 100ml water in a bowl, and set aside.

Put the oil in a wide pan on a medium heat, then add the spring onion whites and ginger, and stir-fry for 30 seconds to a minute, until aromatic.

Add the minced pork and stir-fry for about five minutes, until it changes colour and is fully cooked through. Continue cooking and stirring for five minutes more, until the meat turns golden and slightly crisp, then pour in the wine and stir briefly. Turn down the heat to low, so the sauce doesn’t catch and burn.

Bring a pot of water to a boil, add your chosen noodles, cook according to the packet instructions, then drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, add the soy sauce mix to the pork mince pan, stirring well to coat the meat evenly, then leave to simmer for three to five minutes, so the flavours meld. Gradually add the starch water bit by bit, stirring continuously, until the sauce thickens.

Divide the cooked noodles between two bowls and top with the zhajiang sauce. Add the cucumber and spring onion greens, and serve. Toss well before eating.