Sichuan Eel Noodles (四川鳝鱼面)
Lunch @ '永记汤元烫馆' in Chengdu.
A big oily surprise!
This was my mate's choice of lunch and when the bowl arrived, drowned in red chilli oil, both of us had a shock.
Unagi with noodles it will not be...chuckle! (This is afterall, NOT Japanese food)
The eels are braised first with Sichuan fermented beans and ginger to tenderise them, before returning them to the wok with bamboo shoots for a stir-fry with spices such as Sichuan peppers. Noodles are prepared separately, before pouring the eel stir-fry, oil and all onto the noodles.
Despite the frightening oil content, the bowl of noodles was plenty tasty. Oil is a good carrier of flavours; allowing flavours to flourish even in the most rustic of dishes. The noodles are alluringly spicy and numbing and the eels were plenty soft and tender, with the bamboo shoots adding contrasting texture and crunch.
Sichuan Eel Noodles (四川鳝鱼面)
Lunch @ '永记汤元烫馆' in Chengdu.
A big oily surprise!
This was my mate's choice of lunch and when the bowl arrived, drowned in red chilli oil, both of us had a shock.
Unagi with noodles it will not be...chuckle! (This is afterall, NOT Japanese food)
The eels are braised first with Sichuan fermented beans and ginger to tenderise them, before returning them to the wok with bamboo shoots for a stir-fry with spices such as Sichuan peppers. Noodles are prepared separately, before pouring the eel stir-fry, oil and all onto the noodles.
Despite the frightening oil content, the bowl of noodles was plenty tasty. Oil is a good carrier of flavours; allowing flavours to flourish even in the most rustic of dishes. The noodles are alluringly spicy and numbing and the eels were plenty soft and tender, with the bamboo shoots adding contrasting texture and crunch.