Chili Crisp Noodles (Cold Noodles with Lao Gan Ma Sauce)

2 standard portions

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Ingredients

• 5 oz dried wheat noodles (such as udon noodles) ((or 8 oz fresh wheat noodles) (*Footnote 1))
• 1/2 lb chicken tenderloins
• 1/4 cup Lao Gan Ma chili crisp ((or other chili crisp you prefer))
• 3 tablespoons light soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon Chinkiang vinegar
• 2 tablespoons Chinese sesame paste ((or tahini))
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon honey ((or sugar))
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground Sichuan peppercorn
• 1/4 red onion (, thinly sliced)
• 1 persian cucumber (, julienned)
• 1/4 cup salted dry-roasted peanuts (, chopped)
• 1/4 cup cilantro (, chopped)

Method

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook noodles according to package directions. Once done, transfer the noodles to a colander to drain, then rinse with cold tap water to stop cooking. Drain and set aside.
2. Bring the same pot of water back to a boil and add chicken tenderloins. Keep the water at a very low simmer that barely bubbles. Cook the chicken for 5 to 7 minutes, until just cooked through. Transfer to a plate to cool. Then shred the chicken using two forks.
3. Mix the chili crisp, soy sauce, Chinkiang vinegar, sesame paste, sesame oil, sugar, ginger, and Sichuan peppercorn together in a medium bowl.
4. In a large bowl, combine the cooked noodles (*Footnote 2), red onion, chicken, cucumber and most of the noodle sauce, reserving 1 to 2 tablespoons. Toss to coat well. Transfer to each individual serving bowl, top with peanuts and cilantro, if using. (*Footnote 3) Taste the noodles and mix in the remaining sauce if needed. Serve at room temperature with the remaining sauce.