Smoking has been used to preserve food since ancient times. Today it is also used to add extra flavour to food – and I love it. I stumbled across the idea of using lapsang souchong tea to create smoked noodles and there is no going back for me. This recipe is fresh, quick, easy, and smoky. You can use what you have in your cupboard – it’s a great time to experiment. I eat this noodle salad for lunch, but if you want to make it for dinner you can quickly pan-fry fish or tofu with soy sauce to make it more substantial. Serves 2 For the dressing 50ml vinegar (rice, white wine or cider etc) 40g something sweet (honey, syrup or sugar) 30g nut butter (peanut, almond or cashew etc) 5ml hot sauce (chilli, sriracha or peri peri) 1 tsp salt 2 cloves of garlic, minced 30ml sesame oil 10ml soy sauce For the noodles 1 carrot ½ cucumber 1 mango 30g herbs (coriander/mint/basil) Roasted and salted peanuts 5 lapsang souchong tea bags 150g rice noodles Start by adding all the dressing ingredients t
There was a time when fresh egg noodles were the provenance of specialist stores, however they can now be found in the fridge compartment of most supermarkets. If your supermarket hasn’t quite caught up then use the dried version, following the package instructions for rehydrating. Use this recipe as a template; it works just as well with pork or prawns as it does with chicken. Also feel free to add other vegetables, such as peppers, green beans or pak choi. Serves 4 chicken breasts 2 large, cut into 1cm strips light soy sauce 4 tbsp sunflower or vegetable oil 2 tbsp garlic 3 cloves, finely sliced red onion 1 large, cut into about 8 thin wedges fresh ginger 2cm piece, peeled and finely chopped mangetout 100g, cut in half widthways fresh egg noodles 400g Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry 3 tbsp sesame oil 2 tsp spring onions 4, trimmed and finely sliced Place the chicken breasts in a small bowl and pour in 2 tablespoons of the soy sauce, mix and leave to sit for 5 minutes. When read