Shanxi knife-shaved noodles with tomato and egg

Step 1: Mix 14 oz plain flour and ½ tsp salt, add ¾ cup water gradually and knead to a stiff, dry dough. It will feel too hard at first. Cover and rest for 30 minutes, then knead for 5 minutes until smooth. Shape into a fat, slightly flattened log about 15 cm long.

Step 2: Make the sauce. Heat 2 tbsp of 1 ¾ tbsp vegetable oil in a wok over a high heat, pour in 3 eggs and stir gently into large soft curds. Lift out while still glossy.

Step 3: Add the rest of 1 ¼ tbsp vegetable oil, fry 2 cloves garlic and the white 2 spring onions for 30 seconds, then add 4 ripe tomatoes. Cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes, pressing with a spatula, until the tomatoes collapse into a juicy sauce.

Step 4: Add 1 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tsp sugar, ½ tsp salt and ¾ cup water, simmer for 3 minutes, then return the eggs and stir through. Keep warm.

Step 5: Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Hold the dough block over the pot at an angle. With a sharp, wide knife or a noodle-shaving blade, shave strips about 1 cm wide away from you, flicking each one straight into the water. Move along the block so each strip starts from a new spot.

Step 6: Common mistake: shaving too slowly, so the first noodles overcook. Shave in two batches if needed. Boil for 3–4 minutes after the last strip goes in, until they float and the thick centres are cooked through.

Step 7: Lift into bowls, spoon over the sauce, scatter with the green 2 spring onions and add 2 tbsp Shanxi aged vinegar or Chinkiang black vinegar and 1 tbsp chilli oil to taste.