Flat Hand-Pulled Noodles (Biang Biang Mian) with Chili Oil Vinaigrette
By Tim ChinPublished on January 19, 2017
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
Dough
2⅓ cups (12¾ ounces/361 grams) bread flour ¾ teaspoon salt 1 cup (8 ounces/227 grams) water 1 tablespoon vegetable oilChili Vinaigrette
10 to 20 bird chiles, ground fine½ cup vegetable oil 2 garlic cloves, sliced thin1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced thin1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns ½ cinnamon stick 1 star anise pod 2 tablespoons soy sauce 2 tablespoons black vinegar 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil 1 teaspoon sugarTo Finish
4 quarts water 1 tablespoon salt 12 fresh cilantro sprigs, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces6 scallions, sliced thin on biasBefore You Begin
Bird chiles are dried red Thai chiles, and are pretty spicy. Spice tolerance can vary a lot so I’m giving a range here. If you’re part of the can’t-be-too-spicy crowd, go for the high end. If not, scale back accordingly. Black vinegar, an important ingredient and condiment in Chinese cuisine, is a dark vinegar made from glutinous rice or sorghum. Its flavor is fruity, slightly malty, and smoky. It can be found at Chinese markets or online.
In step 1, you can mix the dough in a food processor instead of a stand mixer: Process flour and salt in food processor until combined, about 2 seconds. With processor running, add water and oil and process until dough forms satiny ball that clears sides of workbowl, about 90 seconds.
It is critical to rest the dough for at least 12 hours (and up to 48 hours). During this long rest, the gluten network becomes more extensible, making it easier to pull long, flat noodles by hand. Note that after 24 hours the surface of the dough may develop small black speckles. This oxidation has no impact on flavor or safety.
Follow this video to see how to pull flat noodles properly.
Instructions
- For the Dough: Whisk flour and salt together in bowl of stand mixer. Add water and oil. Fit stand mixer with dough hook and mix on low speed until all flour is moistened, 1 to 2 minutes. Increase speed to medium and knead until dough is smooth and satiny, 10 to 12 minutes. (Alternatively, mix dough in food processor, following instructions above.) Transfer dough to counter, knead for 30 seconds, and shape into 9-inch log. Wrap log in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 12 hours or up to 48 hours.
- For the Chili Vinaigrette: Place chiles in large heatproof bowl. Place fine-mesh strainer over bowl and set aside. Combine vegetable oil, garlic, ginger, peppercorns, cinnamon, and star anise pod in small saucepan and heat over medium-high heat until sizzling. Reduce heat to low and gently simmer until garlic and ginger are slightly browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Pour through strainer into bowl with chiles; discard solids in strainer. Stir chile oil to combine and let cool for 5 minutes. Stir in soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, and sugar until combined; set aside.
- Unwrap dough, transfer to lightly oiled counter, and, using bench scraper or knife, divide into 6 equal pieces (each 1 ½ inches wide). Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, bring water and salt to boil in large pot; reduce heat to low and cover to keep hot. Following the video in "Before You Begin" working with 1 piece at a time, oil both sides of dough and flatten into 7 by 3-inch rectangle, with long side parallel to edge of counter. With both hands, gently grasp short ends of dough. Stretch dough and slap against counter until noodle is 32 to 36 inches long (noodle will be between 1/16 and 1/8-inch-thick). (If dough is hard to stretch to this length or is snapping back significantly, set aside on counter and let rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, continue stretching remaining portions of dough.) Place noodle on counter. Pinch center of noodle with forefingers and thumbs of both hands and pull apart with even pressure in both directions to rip seam in middle of noodle and create 1 continuous loop. Cut loop to create 2 equal-length noodles. Set noodles aside on lightly oiled counter (do not let noodles touch) and cover with plastic wrap. Repeat stretching and cutting with remaining pieces of dough.
- Return water to boil over high heat. Add half of noodles to water and cook, stirring occasionally, until noodles float and turn chewy-tender, 45 to 60 seconds. Using wire skimmer, transfer noodles to bowl with chili vinaigrette; toss to combine. Return water to boil and repeat with remaining noodles. Divide noodles among individual bowls, top with cilantro and scallions, and serve.
Yield
Serves 4Ingredients
Dough
Chili Vinaigrette
To Finish
Ingredients
Dough
Chili Vinaigrette
To Finish
Ingredients
Dough
Chili Vinaigrette
To Finish
Why This Recipe Works
Biang Biang mian (or, noodles) is a popular dish from the Shaanxi province of China. (Shaanxi is situated geographically between the Shanxi and Sichuan provinces.) They are handmade, flat, belt-like noodles often served with lots of hot peppers and chili oil in the cold winter months. "Biang biang" mian gets its name from the sound made when the noodles are slapped against a table to stretch them. To achieve optimum chew and texture, I use high protein bread flour and an extended resting time to allow the strong gluten network to relax and make the stretching process easier. Here I dress the biang biang mian simply in a Sichuan-inspired chili oil vinaigrette—the best way to have them, really. Once you master this technique, these noodles are a breeze to make, and the possibilities for different noodle dishes are virtually endless.
Before You Begin
Bird chiles are dried red Thai chiles, and are pretty spicy. Spice tolerance can vary a lot so I’m giving a range here. If you’re part of the can’t-be-too-spicy crowd, go for the high end. If not, scale back accordingly. Black vinegar, an important ingredient and condiment in Chinese cuisine, is a dark vinegar made from glutinous rice or sorghum. Its flavor is fruity, slightly malty, and smoky. It can be found at Chinese markets or online.
In step 1, you can mix the dough in a food processor instead of a stand mixer: Process flour and salt in food processor until combined, about 2 seconds. With processor running, add water and oil and process until dough forms satiny ball that clears sides of workbowl, about 90 seconds.
It is critical to rest the dough for at least 12 hours (and up to 48 hours). During this long rest, the gluten network becomes more extensible, making it easier to pull long, flat noodles by hand. Note that after 24 hours the surface of the dough may develop small black speckles. This oxidation has no impact on flavor or safety.
Follow this video to see how to pull flat noodles properly.
Instructions
- For the Dough: Whisk flour and salt together in bowl of stand mixer. Add water and oil. Fit stand mixer with dough hook and mix on low speed until all flour is moistened, 1 to 2 minutes. Increase speed to medium and knead until dough is smooth and satiny, 10 to 12 minutes. (Alternatively, mix dough in food processor, following instructions above.) Transfer dough to counter, knead for 30 seconds, and shape into 9-inch log. Wrap log in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 12 hours or up to 48 hours.
- For the Chili Vinaigrette: Place chiles in large heatproof bowl. Place fine-mesh strainer over bowl and set aside. Combine vegetable oil, garlic, ginger, peppercorns, cinnamon, and star anise pod in small saucepan and heat over medium-high heat until sizzling. Reduce heat to low and gently simmer until garlic and ginger are slightly browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Pour through strainer into bowl with chiles; discard solids in strainer. Stir chile oil to combine and let cool for 5 minutes. Stir in soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, and sugar until combined; set aside.
- Unwrap dough, transfer to lightly oiled counter, and, using bench scraper or knife, divide into 6 equal pieces (each 1 ½ inches wide). Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, bring water and salt to boil in large pot; reduce heat to low and cover to keep hot. Following the video in "Before You Begin" working with 1 piece at a time, oil both sides of dough and flatten into 7 by 3-inch rectangle, with long side parallel to edge of counter. With both hands, gently grasp short ends of dough. Stretch dough and slap against counter until noodle is 32 to 36 inches long (noodle will be between 1/16 and 1/8-inch-thick). (If dough is hard to stretch to this length or is snapping back significantly, set aside on counter and let rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, continue stretching remaining portions of dough.) Place noodle on counter. Pinch center of noodle with forefingers and thumbs of both hands and pull apart with even pressure in both directions to rip seam in middle of noodle and create 1 continuous loop. Cut loop to create 2 equal-length noodles. Set noodles aside on lightly oiled counter (do not let noodles touch) and cover with plastic wrap. Repeat stretching and cutting with remaining pieces of dough.
- Return water to boil over high heat. Add half of noodles to water and cook, stirring occasionally, until noodles float and turn chewy-tender, 45 to 60 seconds. Using wire skimmer, transfer noodles to bowl with chili vinaigrette; toss to combine. Return water to boil and repeat with remaining noodles. Divide noodles among individual bowls, top with cilantro and scallions, and serve.
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