Serves 6
Ingredients:
Chilli oil:
2 Tbsp Sichuan peppercorns
2 cinnamon sticks
2 star anise
250ml neutral oil
2 Tbsp chilli flakes
1 tsp Chinese five spice powder
3 Tbsp toasted white sesame seeds
Sauce:
3 Tbsp peanut butter, smooth & no sugar added
3 Tbsp tahini
60ml rice vinegar
60ml Staffords Thick Soy Sauce
4 cloves garlic, finely grated
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, grated
2 Tbsp Hoisin sauce
1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns, toasted and finely ground
250ml hot chicken stock
Pork mixture:
1 Tbsp peanut oil / any neutral oil
500g pork mince
2 Tbsp fresh ginger, grated
4 spring onions, sliced
1 Tbsp Hoisin sauce
60ml Staffords Thick Soy Sauce
1 tsp Chinese five spice powder
340g noodles of choice, egg or wheat
200g bok choi
4 Tbsp peanuts, roughly chopped
Sliced spring onions, to serve
Lime wedges, to serve
Method:
For the chilli oil:
Combine the Sichuan peppercorns, cinnamon, star anise and neutral oil in a small saucepan. Heat until the oil reaches 160˚C.
Switch off the heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
Stir in the chilli flakes, five spice powder and toasted sesame seeds.
Cool, pour into a glass jar and keep the leftovers in the fridge for a delicious homemade spicy oil.
For the sauce:
Mix everything together in a medium sized bowl except for the chicken stock.
Prepare the hot chicken stock just before serving.
For the pork:
Heat a drizzle of peanut oil in a large frying pan and cook the pork until golden brown.
Break it up into little pieces as you go.
When the pork is cooked through, add the ginger, spring onions, hoisin, Staffords Thick Soy Sauce and five spice powder. Mix briefly and remove from the heat.
Assembly:
Cook noodles in a pot of boiling water according to package instructions.
Blanch the bok choi in the noodle water, drain and roughly chop.
Mix the hot chicken stock into the rest of the sauce ingredients.
Divide the sauce between bowls.
Drizzle in a spoonful of the chilli oil making sure to get lots of bits!
Top each bowl of sauce with a pile of noodles, a few spoonfuls of the pork mixture and some blanched bok choi.
Garnish with the peanuts, sliced spring onions and lime wedges.
Drizzle over another spoonful of chilli oil, squeeze in the lime wedges.
Mix up the bowl and enjoy!