Do spicy foods taste better when the temperature outside matches the heat of the food? Someone once told me that was true and at first I found it hard to believe. Sweating both on the outside and on the inside doesn’t sound like a good way to cool off from the summer heat. If there was ever a perfect time to test out this theory, any days from last week was it. With temperatures over 90 degrees here in Philly, the last thing I wanted to eat was anything warm and steamy. So to cool things off, this is my take on Chef David Chang’s Chilled Spicy Noodles with Sichuan spiced sausage served at Momofuku Noodle Bar.

The last time I was in New York, Momofuku Noodle Bar was a must visit on my list. The restaurant was pack. Eaters were sitting elbow to elbow and squeezed into a space that’s probably best suited for a Pinkberry than a well known restaurant. Nobody was complaining though, and as I slurp my Chilled Spicy Noodles and help myself to my boyfriend’s bowl of Momofuku Ramen, I could see why. A perfect bowl of noodle is a beautiful thing and the Chilled Spicy Noodles was just that. The egg noodles were cooked just right, done but still have a good “bite” in the texture. What made it perfect was the spicy soy sauce dressing and the Sichuan spiced sausage.

I have never seen Sichuan sausage being sold in any markets, so for this recipe I’m using mild Italian sausage and seasoning it with soy sauce, shaoxing wine, herbs and spices, and most importantly Sichuan pepper. I wasn’t able to find the pepper at my local Asian market, but I did found them in the Italian Market at Spice Corner, a small herb and spice shop located on 9th Street.

Sichuan pepper resembles a little like regular black peppercorn in appearance, but they are very different in taste and they are not related to each other. Unlike black, white, and chili peppers, Sichuan peppers are not spicy when you bite into them. They smell more aromatic and instead of shocking your taste buds with heat, it produces a tingly almost numbing sensation on your tongue.

For my version, instead of egg noodles I’m using dried udon noodles. You can find dried udon noodles in most Asian markets. They are great to have around the pantry. You can put them in soup noodles and because of the thick texture, they hold up well in salads with dressing.

The Chilled Spicy Noodle at Momofuku Noodle Bar had spinach and cashews, but for my noodle bowl I decided to skip the cashew and add in two of my favorite prepared Asian vegetable sides. One of them is kimchi. I usually prefer the fresh ones that are made at the Korean market, but you can also use the ones sold in jars. The second one is pickled mustard steam or also known as cha tsoi in Cantonese. You can find it canned or in a vacuum sealed package as shown above. I like to use the vacuum sealed ones since they do taste a lot fresher. Sometimes pickled mustard steam is also labeled as Sichuan vegetable, which is kind of ridiculous since that’s a pretty broad name given to one type of vegetable from that province in China. The vegetable is salted, pressed, dried, rubbed with a spicy chili paste, and then pickled for several weeks. It is salty, sour, and little spicy in flavor. It is great stir fried with beef, spread on top of steam fish, and mix in with rice congee.

Spicy Cold Udon Noodle with Sichuan Sausage, Pickled Mustard Steam, & Kimchi

By Fried Wontons For You

INGREDIENTS

Serving: 4 to 5

• 13 oz dried udon noodle
• 1 lb mild Italian sausage
• 2 tsp shaoxing wine
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 ½ tsp whole Sichuan pepper
• 1 tbsp minced shallot
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• ½ tsp Korean red pepper powder
• 1 minced scallion
• 2 julienne scallions
• 2 julienne chili pepper
• 1 package pickled mustard steam (cha tsoi)
• 1 package of baby spinach
• julienne kimchi

DRESSING INGREDIENTS

Serving: Makes about 1 cup

• 4 tbsp sesame oil
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp minced chili pepper
• 3 tbsp & 1 tsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 2 tsp chili oil (add more if prefer spicier)

To begin cooking the dried udon noodles, bring a large pot of water to boil. When the water starts boiling, season it with salt and place the udon inside. Stir and cook for about 10 to 12 minutes. Do not overcook the noodles. They should be al dente. Check at 10 minutes for doneness and give it about 1 to 2 minutes more if they are still a little hard. Rinse the udon under cold water until they are cool off. Strain and place it inside the refrigerator to chill.

With a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder, grind up the Sichuan peppercorns. If you do not have these tools, you can use a rolling pin to crush the Sichuan peppercorns first and then use a mallet or a meat tenderizer to crush it into smaller pieces. Set aside.

In a large bowl start taking the sausage meat out of the casing. Add shaoxing wine, soy sauce, olive oil, grinded Sichuan peppercorn, minced shallot, minced garlic, Korean red pepper powder, and minced scallions to the sausage meat. Mix well and set aside for at least 1 hour.

To make the dressing, combine sesame oil, olive oil, minced chili pepper, soy sauce, lime juice, and chili oil together. Stir well and chill in the refrigerator.

When the sausage is done marinating, cook it in a large skillet with a little bit of olive oil. Work in batches if needed. Make sure to brown the sausage meat and break it up into medium pieces. When they are done cooking set it aside.

To begin assembling the udon noodle bowls, first rinse the pickled mustard under cold water and then julienne it. You will need about half of the package, but you can add more if you like. Begin dividing the udon noodles into 4 to 5 bowls. Add a little bit of the dressing to the udon noodles and mix it around to loosen the noodles. Add some baby spinach, julienne scallions, julienne chili pepper, julienne pickled mustard steam, julienne kimchi, and the Sichuan sausage to the noodles. Stir with additional dressing and serve.

MAKE AHEAD

Everything could be made ahead. Just assemble the noodle bowls right before serving. If you are cooking the sausage a day before, just reheat it before serving.

NOTES

Instead of assembling the udon noodle bowls for your guest, you can let them pick their own toppings and mix it together. Divide the udon noodles into serving bowls and place each topping into individual bowls. Make sure to leave out a bottle of chili oil for those who like it extra spicy.

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