Fat and salt. Sometimes I just want to consume something that mostly consists of fat and salt; this recipe promises plenty of both. Basically, this dish is scallion infused fat and salt, delivered to your mouth via perfectly soft and chewy noodles. It’s heaven.
I’m not really sure how I came upon this recipe, but I could tell by the first few sentences of this particular blog post that the author and I would be great friends.
Note – I made a half recipe, as I was dining alone and when all was said and done I only added about half of the oil to my noodles, reserving the rest for bread dipping, as the author suggests.
Fried green onion noodles Serves 4 to 6 generously as a side dish Fried onions: 12 green onions 1½ cups oil (olive, vegetable, or peanut) Sauce: ¼ cup light soy sauce, plus more if needed
¾ cup salted stock, plus more if needed Noodles: 12 ounces dry noodles (buckwheat noodles recommended)
4 quarts filtered water 3 tablespoons sea salt 1. Clean and trim the green onions, pat them dry (this is important since you don't want them to spatter in the oil), and then slice them into either thin rounds or on the angle into long thin ovals. 2. Line a plate with a paper towel and place it next to the stove along with a slotted spoon. Heat the oil in a wok over medium-high heat. When it just begins to shimmer, add a few pieces of the onion to the oil. What you want is for the onions to gently bubble, so adjust the heat as needed and add the rest of the onions to the oil. Stir the onions every minute or so and let them slowly cook, giving them a chance to release their fragrance and gradually dry out. Keep an eye on the onions, and as soon as they start to smell toasty and a few begin to brown, stir them almost constantly so that they brown evenly. 3. Once almost all of them are a light brown, remove them from the oil with the slotted spoon and place them on the paper towel. Set the wok with the hot oil aside if you're going to use it immediately; otherwise, let it cool and pour it into a clean glass jar before storing it in a cool area. 4. Pour the soy sauce and stock into a large work bowl and stir in the flavored oil. 5. Pour the water into a large pot and add the salt; bring the water to a boil. About 10 minutes before you want to serve these noodles, stir the noodles into the water and gently swish them once in a while so that they don't stick together. As soon as the water starts to boil, lower the heat to a simmer and cook the noodles until they are barely done. Place a colander in the sink and drain the noodles into it, but don't rinse the noodles, as the starch on the noodles will help to thicken the sauce and allow it to evenly coat each strand. 6. Put the cooked noodles into the work bowl with the sauce and toss them well. You want the noodles slightly soupy since they'll absorb some of the sauce, so add more stock if needed. Taste the noodles and add a bit more soy sauce if you want. 7. Divide the noodles and sauce into your serving bowls, garnish with all of the fried onions, and serve these glorious noodles to a rapturous welcome.