Cumin lamb with homemade noodles
We wish we had the skill and dexterity to make the famous pulled wheat flour noodles of China's west and north – it’s mesmerising watching these being made. Cooks start by stretching their dough and folding it in a way that apparently lines up the gluten strands. What ensues is a miraculous succession of looping, pulling, doubling the dough back onto itself, thumping it on a counter, then pulling again, until a pile of perfect, even-sized noodles lies waiting to be cooked. Maybe not in that particular order but to be honest it all happens so fast that watching the process puts us in a daze. Like any sleight of hand it’s completely beyond us, even though the noodle masters make it look effortless. We satisfy ourselves with these easy roll-out-and-cut-up ones instead and they’re basically un-bugger-upable. And it doesn’t matter if they do end up a bit uneven; that just adds to the general rusticity. You can use these noodles with the lamb and cumin combo here, or just quickly wok them off (after boiling and draining them) with some mustard greens (gai choy), a few spoons of your favourite chilli-crisp oil, some Chinese black vinegar and a dash or two of sugar. Chuck in some roasted, still-in-the-skin peanuts and plenty of chopped coriander, then chow on down. If you can’t be bothered making the noodles, just buy thick, fresh wheat ones from a Chinese grocer, if you have one handy.
On the lamb, many people are terribly surprised to learn that swathes of China eat it. It’s particularly popular in the north and far west of the country, where winters are cold (so, sheep) and large parts of the population are Muslim (so, halal). Cumin, black vinegar and dried chilli are the go-to flavourings with lamb in regional China, and they’re perfect for the strong flavour of their more muttony-than-lamb lamb. Which holds up particularly well to these gutsy ingredients, but our sweeter, milder Kiwi lamb works a treat too. Especially a cut with a bit of fat in it, like shoulder.
SERVES 4
500g boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 5mm thick slices against the grain
2 tbsp cumin seeds
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tsp cornflour
2 red onions, thinly sliced
4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
5cm piece of ginger, finely chopped
2 small red chillies, thinly sliced on the diagonal, bunch of coriander, coarsely chopped, to serve
chilli crisp oil, to serve
hand-cut noodles, to serve
Marinade
¾ tsp baking soda
2 tsp cornflour
1½ tbsp light soy sauce
1½ tbsp Shaoxing wine
Stir-fry sauce
80ml (⅓ cup) chilli crisp oil
2½ tbsp Chinese black vinegar
2½ tbsp sesame oil
2½ tbsp Shaoxing wine
2½ tbsp light soy sauce
2½ tbsp dark soy sauce
For the marinade, combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and stir to mix well. Add the lamb, toss to coat, then cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
For the lamb stir-fry sauce, combine everything in a small bowl, then set aside.
Place a small frypan over medium heat, add the cumin seeds, then dry-roast, shaking the pan for about 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Remove from the heat, cool slightly, then grind to a powder using a mortar and pestle or an electric spice grinder.
Drain the lamb well, discarding the liquid. Add half the vegetable oil, the cornflour and ground cumin to the lamb and toss to coat. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil for the noodles.
Place a large wok or heavy-based fry pan over high heat and heat until wisps of smoke appear. Add the remaining oil, then add the lamb and spread it evenly around the wok using tongs or a wok spatula. Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes until browned all over. Add the onion, then stir-fry for 2-3 minutes until it softens, then add the garlic, ginger, and stir-fry for another minute, or until fragrant. Add the sauce mixture and keep stir-frying for another minute, or until everything is well combined and the liquid bubbles. Taste, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
Meanwhile, cook the noodles in the pan of boiling water for 2-3 minutes until tender, then drain well. Add the noodles to the wok and toss to combine well with the lamb mixture. Divide among bowls, scatter with chilli and coriander, then serve with chilli oil passed separately for an extra kick in the chilli pants if you like!
