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Pian'er chuan noodles
Noodle soup with pickled greens
片儿川 piàn'er chuān — Hangzhou noodle soup with pickled greens, bamboo shoots and pork
ChineseAsk a Hangzhou local what they eat at a noodle shop and the answer is often pian'er chuan, a quick bowl named for its sliced (pian) pork and bamboo that are flash-cooked (chuan) in the broth. Salty, crunchy pickled mustard greens give it its savoury depth, the bamboo adds a clean sweetness, and the thin noodles soak up a cloudy, peppery soup. It is everyday lunch food, eaten at speed. A common mistake is skipping the rinse on the pickled greens; unrinsed, they make the whole bowl too salty. Chef's tip: slice the pork as thinly as you can while it is half-frozen, so it cooks in seconds and stays tender.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 3
Ingredients
For the pork
- 7 oz pork loin or shouldervery thinly sliced
- 1 tsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp cornflour
For the soup
- 2 tbsp neutral oil
- 3 ½ oz pickled mustard greensrinsed, squeezed dry and chopped
- 5 ½ oz bamboo shootscanned or cooked, thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing wineor the same amount of chicken stock with 1 tsp rice vinegar (alcohol-free)
- 5 cups chicken stockhot
- 1 ½ tbsp light soy sauce
- ¼ tsp ground white pepper
- 10 ½ oz fresh thin wheat noodles
- ¼ tsp saltto taste
To serve
- 1 spring onion (optional)sliced
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Mix 7 oz pork loin or shoulder with 1 tsp light soy sauce and 1 tsp cornflour and set aside on a plate. Keep the raw pork board separate.
Step 2: Bring a large pan of water to the boil for the noodles.
5 minStep 3: Heat 2 tbsp neutral oil in a wok or saucepan over a high heat. Stir-fry the pork for 1 minute, until it has just changed colour.
1 minStep 4: Add 3 ½ oz pickled mustard greens and 5 ½ oz bamboo shoots and stir-fry for 1 minute, until fragrant. Splash in 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine and let it sizzle.
1 minStep 5: Pour in 5 cups chicken stock, add 1 ½ tbsp light soy sauce and ¼ tsp ground white pepper and bring to the boil. Simmer for 3 minutes, until the pork slices are cooked through with no pink.
3 minStep 6: Meanwhile cook 10 ½ oz fresh thin wheat noodles in the boiling water for 2–3 minutes, until just tender, and drain. Cooking them separately keeps the soup clear and the noodles springy.
3 minStep 7: Taste the soup and add ¼ tsp salt only if needed. Divide the noodles between deep bowls, ladle over the soup, pork and bamboo, and top with 1 spring onion.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 480 kcal
- Protein
- 26 g
- Carbs
- 64 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pian'er chuan noodles take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 12 minutes to prepare and 18 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 3 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of light soy sauce?
- Tamari, same amount (gluten free).
- What can I use instead of cornflour?
- Arrowroot or potato starch, same amount.
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