Sesame Noodles with Soy Marinated Eggs

Sesame noodles are super easy to make and so delicious. Fancy it up with soy marinated eggs, or for simplicity, just top the noodles with a fried egg. Adding some mouth numbing fragrant Sichuan chilli oil takes the dish to another level!

SOY MARINATED EGGS

You can make a simple marinade with just soy sauce and a bit a sugar, but I like to include some ginger, garlic and spices to add more complexity the eggs. This is not necessary when serving them with the sesame noodles, but work really well when serving the eggs with steamed rice and some veggies.

• 

• 

For 6-8 eggs, simmer for 5 minutes:

• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup dark soy sauce
• 1/4 water
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp Chinese black vinegar or rice vinegar
• 3-4 cloves garlic bruised
• 3-4 slices ginger
• 1 cinnamon stick, 3-4 star anise, 3-4 cloves (or 1/2 tsp 5-spice powder)
• chilli flakes, Sichuan pepper and/or black pepper to taste

1. Leave marinade to cool for 10min before adding the eggs
2. To boil the eggs, gently lower them into boiling water. For eggs directly from the fridge, I dip them in and out of the water a few times so they don’t crack.
3. Move the eggs in a circle in the pot so they cook evenly. For oozy eggs (from the fridge), simmer on low-med heat for 5.5 to 6min, 2mins longer for harder eggs. Immediately soak the eggs in cold water after cooking to stop the cooking process.
4. Peel eggs then soak them in the marinade for at least 1 hour or overnight for a stronger flavour.
5. After marinading the eggs, you can keep the marinade in the fridge for a week or two to make the next batch. Simply boil the marinade to kill all germs before keeping it in a sealed jar in the fridge.

SESAME NOODLES
Prep Time: 15min

Per serving

• Dried wheat noodles (100g per serve) or fresh egg noodles (200g per serve)
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1-2 tbsp hot water
• 1 heaped tsp sesame paste or tahini (I make my own by toasting sesame seeds and blending them with some neutral tasting oil)
• 1-2 tsp peanut butter (optional)
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 1-2 tsp Chinese black vinegar (balsamic works ok)
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• 1 garlic clove minced
• GARNISH – crushed peanuts, toasted sesame seeds, spring onions, coriander, blanched bean sprouts, julienne cucumber (seeds removed)
• Chilli oil to taste (if your chilli oil doesn’t contain Sichuan pepper, and you like the mouth numbing sensation, you can dry roast some in a pan and grind it in a mortar & pestle to add to the noodles)

1. Mix sauce ingredients in a bowl
2. Cook noodles according to packet instructions. I like to run the cooked noodles through cold water to remove excess starch so they don’t stick together
3. Pour sauce over the noodles and mix well
4. Garnish with desired ingredients, drizzle with chilli oil and top with marinated eggs
5. The noodles also go well with shredded poached chicken if you prefer some meat

Wine Pairing: a crisp fruity rose; dry/off-dry riesling