Tony Tan’s vegetarian dan dan mian

Ingredients

• 100 gm firm tofu, crumbled
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 2 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
• 30 gm dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in 250ml hot water for 10 minutes
• 500 gm fresh wheat noodles
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• Handful chopped spring onions, to serve
• Chilli oil
• 500 ml vegetable oil
• 15 gm ginger, finely chopped
• 100 gm chilli flakes
• Dan dan sauce
• 80 ml chilli oil, including sediment (see recipe above)
• 2 tbsp ya cai (see intro)
• 2 spring onions, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp dark soy sauce
• 2 tbsp fermented tofu, mashed (see note)
• 1 tbsp Chinese roasted sesame paste (see note) or peanut butter
• 1 tbsp Chinkiang vinegar
• 1/2 tsp Sichuan pepper, dry-roasted and ground
• 250 ml (1 cup) vegetable stock

Instructions

1. 1

   1.: For chilli oil, heat oil with ginger in a saucepan to 120°C-130°C. Place chilli flakes in a heatproof bowl, then pour hot oil over and leave for 24 hours before using (see note).

2. 2

   2.: Marinate tofu with light soy sauce, half the Shaoxing and season to taste with salt and pepper (15 minutes). Drain shiitake, reserving soaking water. Squeeze excess water from shiitake and slice off and discard stalks, then finely chop the caps and set aside.

3. 3

   3.: For dan dan sauce, heat chilli oil in a wok over medium heat. Add ya cai and spring onions, and stir-fry until fragrant (1 minute). Add marinated tofu, shiitake and remaining Shaoxing and stir-fry until fragrant (1-2 minutes). Add remaining sauce ingredients and reserved mushroom water; mix well. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes.

4. 4

   4.: Meanwhile, cook noodles according to packet instructions. Drain into a colander and rinse with hot water. Toss with oil to prevent sticking and divide noodles among serving bowls. Spoon over dan dan sauce and top with spring onions and extra chilli oil for chilli lovers.