Egg Noodles In Rich Hoisin Gravy

Servings: 4
Ingredients:

3 tb hoisin sauce                        2 tb cornstarch
2 tb soy sauce                         1/4 ts chili oil or to taste
1 tb Asian sesame oil, divided           1 lb fresh Chinese egg noodles
2 tb peanut or vegetable oil             1 ds Salt
2 ea large cloves garlic, minced         2 ea pickling cucumbers
1 tb minced ginger                       3 c  Chicken broth or stock
1 lb pork, boneless loin, minced     1 1/2 c  Beans sprouts, blanched
1 tb Chinese rice wine

To prepare: pickling cucumbers, peel, seed, and cut into strips 1/8-inch
wide and 2-inches long.
Mix cornstarch with 4 tablespoons stock or water.
Cook’s notes: The Chinese would use egg noodles, but you can
substitute readily available Japanese ramen noodles.
Hoisin sauce, Asian sesame oil and chili oil are available at Asian
markets or supermarkets with large Asian specialty sections.
Procedure: In a bowl, whisk together the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, half
the sesame oil and the chicken stock. Heat the peanut oil in a wok and
stir-fry the garlic and ginger for 45 seconds, or until soft. Add the pork
and stir-fry until nicely browned, about 2 minutes. Add the rice wine
and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Stir in the broth mixture and bring to a
boil. Stir in the cornstarch mixture and return the entire mixture to a
boil; it will thicken slightly. Add chili oil to taste and keep the gravy
warm.
Cook the noodles in boiling salted water about 1 minute, or until done
to taste. Drain well and toss the noodles with the remaining sesame oil.
Presentation: Divide the noodles among bowls, pour the gravy over
them and garnish with bean sprouts and cucumber.
Servings: Makes 6 servings.
Nutritional info (per serving): 518 calories, 25 grams fat, 53 milligrams
cholesterol, 1,069 milligrams sodium.

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