Ingredients
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2.5cm/1in piece ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns, lightly crushed, plus extra to serve
500g/1lb 2oz 3% fat turkey thigh mince
250g pack dried udon or other wheat noodles
2 x 90g packs baby pak choi or other Asian greens, trimmed and separated
2 tbsp unsweetened crunchy peanut butter (we used Whole Earth)
2 tbsp chilli bean sauce (we used Lee Kum Kee)
3 tbsp low-salt soy sauce
3 tbsp Shaohsing wine (Chinese rice wine)
50g/2oz unsalted peanuts, roasted
4-5 thinly sliced spring onions and large handful roughly chopped coriander, to serve
Method
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Bring a large pan of water to the boil. Heat the sesame oil in a wok or large frying pan. Once really hot and almost smoking, throw in the garlic, ginger and crushed Sichuan peppercorns. Cook, stirring, for 30 secs. Add the mince and stir, breaking it up as you do. Cook the mince over a high heat for 10-12 mins until all the liquid has evaporated and it’s becoming crisp here and there – don’t worry if it sticks to the wok a little, just keep stirring.
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Meanwhile, cook the noodles in the boiling water following pack instructions, adding the pak choi for the final 2 mins. Drain, reserving the cooking water, then run under cold water to stop the noodles sticking.
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To make a sauce, combine the peanut butter, chilli bean sauce, 3 tbsp of the soy sauce and 2 tbsp of the Shaohsing in a small pan. Add 300ml of the reserved cooking water, bring to a simmer and reduce for 5 mins. Once the mince is cooked, stir through the remaining soy sauce and Shaohsing. Pour the sauce into 4 shallow bowls, top with the noodles and pak choi, then spoon over the mince. Scatter over the peanuts, spring onions, coriander, and more crushed Sichuan peppercorns for an extra kick.
