Sunday 1 August 2010

Cold as a Cuke

My colleague, K., has what sounds like an expansive, tantalizing array of vegetables growing in her garden. So, when she offered to offload some of her bounty of homegrown cucumbers, I was not one to refuse.

During these hot spells that we've been enjoying in Oxford, these cukes have been the perfect refreshing component to many dishes. The other day I came upon a particularly good pairing--'Singapore Noodles' and pickled cucumbers. The 'Singapore Noodles' are entre guillemets because this dish was more of a quick, easy exercise in clearing out the remains of the crisper and making a dent in my profusion of condiments than an attempt to follow a recipe. This is a veggie interpretation, but the traditional preparation uses roasted pork and vermicelli noodles.

For the pickled cucumbers:

1 small cucumber, peeled (seeded or unseeded, up to you) and thinly sliced
1 tsp. chili paste (sambal oelek or the like)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp sugar
3 Tbs. rice wine vinegar

Combine all of the above in a shallow bowl, cover and chill for at least one hour.





My 'Singapore Noodles':
SAUCE
1/2-inch cube of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 large clove of garlic, roughly chopped
1 Tbs. chili paste (to taste)
1 Tbs. low sodium soy sauce
3 Tbs. fish sauce (nam pla)
1 Tbs. rice wine vinegar
1 tsp. palm sugar (caster will work, too)

EVERYTHING ELSE
7 oz. (half of one bag) rice noodles (vermicelli or Banh Pho)
1 Tbs. vegetable or peanut oil
2 Tbs. toasted sesame oil
1 egg
2 spring onions, thinly sliced
1 red or yellow, or orange bell pepper, thinly sliced
Coriander, chopped
roasted peanuts (optional)
lime wedges

Success with these kinds of stir-fry noodle dishes depends on having all of your components washed, chopped and ready to go. It's fast cooking in a hot wok, after all, and it only takes a moment of neglect to burn. Prepare the sauce in a bowl in advance as well.

Once all of your veg is prepared, place the rice noodles in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Let the noodles steep until soft and pliable (1-2 mins.), drain, and then toss with 1 Tbs. toasted sesame oil. Heat over a high flame remaining sesame oil and vegetable oil in a wok or other shallow pan that can handle high heat.
Add the spring onion (reserving 1 Tbs. for garnish) and pepper, moving constantly. After 30 seconds, crack the egg (careful of stray shells, etc.) straight in and stir-fry, breaking up the yolk. When fried, add the sauce and toss in noodles and peanuts. Stir-fry a few seconds more, ensuring that everything is coated in sauce. Serve warm in shallow bowls, topped with coriander, reserved spring onions and lime wedges.

The noodles will be tangy, sweet, salty, and as spicy as you like, and the cucumbers are the perfect pairing--light, clean and picked, with just a hint of chili.