Jamie Oliver's Dan Dan Noodles

I remember seeing Jamie Oliver’s third book at a friend’s house, shortly after it came out. It must have been around 2002, and it was still titled something about The Naked Chef. I thought ‘God, hasn’t he had his 15 minutes yet? How many books is he going to squeeze out?’.

Well! Here we are 10 years on with ‘Jamie’s America’. After Fifteen, and School Dinners, and the Ministry and that disastrous-sounding trip to the States to sort out their school food. He’s been backlashed, and resurgent, so many times he must wake up wondering whether he’s a national treasure, or an exposure seeking busybody with a hero complex today.

This is his tenth book in about a decade (and he’s probably put out another one since then) and they all sell a shitload, and they make him a load of money, and why not put one out every year in that case? And I’d be extremely cynical about it if this book wasn’t bloody brilliant. Seriously, it’s not going back. I’ve made the Dan Dan Noodles twice, and the Stuffed Courgette Flowers, and the Date Shake, and the Broccoli Salad, and the Best Baked Beans, and I will be making the Veal Parmigiana (Veal Parm!) and the Chicken Mole, and the Chili, and quite a few more.  

I might even attempt the somewhat tricky looking Sher Ping Pancakes – mainly because they, like the noodles, contain the incredibly alluring Szechuan pepper. This stuff is a joy for even the most jaded chili-loving palate. I’ve heard it described as ‘hot and numbing’, and the second adjective is crucial. Even if you use too much it won’t send you rushing for the water tap. You’ll just sit there, staring into space, you lips and tongue seeming to literally jangle, for as long as you’ve got. A a bonus, it has a distinct and delicious flavour: a bit lemony, a bit floral, a bit…icey? No, that’s probably just the numbingness. It’s like eating dry ice.

I don’t think I did the noodles justice either time I made them, because my chili oil was seriously underpowered – even with the Szechuan pepper, and raw garlic, a bit more heat would have made it (for me – the husband would probably demur). I will rectify this store cupboard oversight as  this is a great midweek meal, and a good way to eat a lot of green veg. I made it with pork and beef, and both were good.

Serves 2

A chicken stock cube
250-350g minced beef or pork
1 tbsp runny honey
100-150g wheat noodles
2 mega handfuls of dark green veg – kale, broccoli, Chinese stuff, spinach
2 cloves of garlic, finely sliced
1-2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp Szechuan pepper
2-3 tbsp chili oil
1 spring onion, finely sliced
Lime juice

Dry fry the meat in a large frying pan until they are crispy and golden brown – this takes a good ten minutes, and you need to keep moving it around, though not constantly. When it done, pour away any excess fat, and add the honey. Coat the meat, and cook for about 30 seconds. Then put it aside.

Boil a pan of water, and dissolve the stock cube in it. When it’s boiling, add the noodles, and cook for as long as they need. When they’ve only got a minute left, throw in the veg too. Then drain and return to the hot pan – don’t shake them dry, put them back in with lots of water still clinging.

Immediately throw in the sliced garlic, chili oil, soy sauce, and Szechuan pepper. Mix mix mix and then divide between bowls. Scatter the sticky crispy mince on top, and add the sliced sping onion, and a bit of lime juice.