Chef Tony Tan's take on an Italian classic, this Chinese bolognese dish is a simple and sublime recipe for any night of the week – a perfect dish to enjoy with savoury, medium-bodied reds such as Pinot, cool climate Shiraz, or Sangiovese.
Images and text from Tony Tan’s Asian Cooking Class by Tony Tan, photography by Mark Roper. Murdoch Books RRP $59.99.
INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp brown bean sauce
1 tbsp hoisin sauce
1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1/3 cup neutral oil
5 spring onions (scallions), whites and greens separated, finely chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
300g minced pork
1 tsp caster (superfine) sugar, or to taste
Salt and white pepper, to taste
500g wheat noodles or fresh Shanghai or Tianjin noodles
1 cucumber, shredded
METHOD
1. Combine the brown bean sauce, hoisin sauce, Shaoxing and chicken stock and mix well. Heat a wok over high heat, add the oil, the white part of the spring onion and the garlic, and stir-fry for 20 seconds until softened.
2. Add the minced pork, stir-fry until the meat changes colour and breaks up, then add the sauce-stock mixture, reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 5-10 minutes until reduced. Season with the sugar, salt and pepper, adjusting to taste. (You can also add another cup of chicken stock if you prefer a runnier consistency.)
3. Meanwhile, cook the noodles in a saucepan of boiling water for 3-4 minutes. Drain, rinse off excess starch if necessary, then divide among bowls.
4. Ladle the meat sauce over the noodles and top with cucumber and spring onion tops to serve.
Tony’s note: Shanghai noodles tend to stick. A small quantity of oil tossed through will stop this, especially if you are cooking them way ahead of serving.