Peanut Noodles

If you’ve had Peanut Noodles, or Sesame Noodles or any kind of nutty noodles, then it isn’t such a stretch to imagine this dish in your mind; toothsome noodles, salty peanut sauce, the tang of something spicy to kick up the flavor a little, some scallion, lime juice maybe, a toss of cilantro. It’s simple food. Sometimes simple is good; and when G. is gone for the evening and Mike and I can eat what we want, we love to turn to dishes like this one.

This particular recipe, which goes by the somewhat silly name of Dan Dan Noodles was from Food and Wine magazine ages ago, and as soon as I saw the recipe I knew it would become one of my favorites. I love noodle dishes; love them better if they stray far, far from always being covered in thick red sauce such as that everywhere-and-always-dull pasta dish. Boring, but yes, admittedly good for a quick fix once in a while.

I’m talkin’ Noodles. Lo Mein. Curry Noodles. Spicy noodles. Praise winning dishes. Slice up some vegetables, toss in some sauce and top with garnishes. Grab your chopsticks and get down to business.

This recipe starts out with toasting peanuts in peanut oil on top of the stove until golden brown and terribly fragrant. Turn on the exhaust if you have it or burn a candle, otherwise you will smell them for a long time. Once cooled, the nuts are whirled in a food processor with jalapeno, garlic and ginger, then a whole litany of asian sauce-type items to make a sorta chunky, highly aromatic sauce that gets tossed over your favorite noodle of choice. An FYI here: this is a SAUCE, folks- in every sense of the word, and it works best with a good hearty noodle. I love rice noodles to death, but they die a slow death in this deliciously thick and unstoppable peanut goodness. My favorite to use is multi-grain thin spaghetti noodles. Soba works beautifully too.

I don’t know what it is about these noodles but I could eat them for days, I think. Obviously they never last long enough around my house in order for me to find out whether I truly could, but my point is that they are really good. The flavor of the nutty rich coating is divine with its tiny chunks of nut; a splat of sriracha or chili garlic sauce adds some bite along with jalapeno (you could get adventurous with anaheims, or really stretch with a thai pepper too), a squirt of lime juice gives it a tangy edge and cool cucumber slices help keep any heat down. For something adventurous, and because I can’t leave well enough alone when it comes to any recipe, I tossed in a handful of cashews with the toasting peanuts just to be somewhat radical and different. That, and the cashews were getting a bit soft in my cupboard. I couldn’t tell much of a difference, but like just the straight peanut variety, my mouth was very happy and my sensory needs were met, just as they’ve been all the other times this simple and delicious dish has passed over my lips. The smell, the sight, the taste….it all came together.

( recipe after the jump)

Dan Dan Noodles (call ‘em Peanut Noodles if this name is too silly for you)
¼ c. peanut oil
½ c. peanuts

Heat oil in sauté pan, sauté peanuts over moderate heat until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Allow to cool.

Place peanuts in food processor with:
1 small jalapeno, seeded, diced and cut into small pieces
1 clove garlic, cut in half
One ¼-inch chunk of fresh ginger root, peeled and chopped

Process until finely chopped, scraping sides if necessary. Add in:
2 ½ T. soy sauce
2 T. water
1 ½ T. rice vinegar
1 T. sriracha chile sauce (chili garlic sauce works too)
1 T. sugar
1 t. sesame oil

Process until smooth, scraping sides as needed. Mix sauce over cooked noodles, either soft chow mein, thin spaghetti or other noodle of choice. Toss to coat. Garnish with cucumber sticks, chopped green onions, sesame seeds and cilantro if desired.