Biang Biang Noodles

Ingredients

• 400g wheat flour (12% protein)
• 200ml cold water
• 5g fine salt
• 2 tbsp neutral oil, for coating
• 4 tbsp coarse Chinese chilli flakes
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 spring onions, finely sliced
• 1 tsp ground Sichuan pepper
• 120ml neutral oil, for pouring
• 3 tbsp light soy sauce
• 3 tbsp Chinese black vinegar
• 1 tsp sugar
• 200g choy sum or spinach
• Salt to taste

Before you cook

• Mix the flour and 5g salt, stir in the cold water, and bring the dough together.
• Knead for 10 minutes until smooth, then cover and rest for 30 minutes.
• Divide the dough into 6 pieces, roll each into a small oval about 12cm long, and coat them all in the 2 tbsp of oil.
• Cover the oiled pieces tightly and rest them for at least 1 hour, or up to 4 hours in the fridge.
• Wash the choy sum and trim the stalk ends.

Steps

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil.
2. Take one rested dough oval and press a chopstick lengthwise down the middle to leave a deep groove.
3. Hold both ends of the oval and stretch it outwards, slapping the middle against the bench as you go.
4. Keep stretching and slapping until the dough is about 60cm long and thin enough to see light through.
5. Tear the noodle along the chopstick groove, leaving the two ends joined, and drop the whole loop into the boiling water.
6. Stretch and cook the remaining pieces the same way, working in batches of two so the pot stays at a boil.
7. Boil each batch for 90 seconds, adding the greens to the water for the final 30 seconds.
8. Lift the noodles and greens out and divide them between three wide bowls.
9. Pile the chilli flakes, minced garlic, spring onion and ground Sichuan pepper on top of the hot noodles.
10. Heat the 120ml of oil in a small pan until it just begins to smoke.
11. Pour the smoking oil straight over the chilli and garlic so everything sizzles and blooms.
12. Add a tablespoon each of soy sauce and black vinegar to every bowl, along with a pinch of sugar.
13. Toss each bowl thoroughly from the bottom so every noodle is coated red, then serve immediately.