Yibin Flaming Noodles
Yi Bin Ran Mian (宜宾燃面). Ranmian (燃面) translates as flaming or burning noodles - it sounds spicy, and it is spicy, but that is not how it got the name. In the old days, people would light them up as a wick for kerosene lamps. A local Sichuan dish (Yibin) from China. It consists of many components - alkaline noodles, seasoned sweet soy sauce, Sichuan red chili oil, roasted nut powder, garlic water, and seaweed soup - built up one by one. Ingredient tips: Sui mi ya cai (碎米芽菜) is preserved and minced mustard greens with a crunchy texture and fermented umami flavor (finely diced kimchi or other pickles can substitute). Alkaline noodles (jian shui mian, 碱水面) contain soda ash (sodium carbonate, Na2CO3) that raises the dough pH and makes the noodles chewier; fresh egg noodles or ramen noodles are good replacements.
⏱️ Prep: 90 min🍳 Cook: 60 min
Ingredients
| 300 g | bread flour (for the alkaline noodles) |
| 1 g | soda ash (sodium carbonate) |
| 2.9 g | salt |
| 140 g | water |
| 30 g | cornstarch (to prevent sticking) |
| 266 g | soy sauce (for the seasoned sweet soy sauce) |
| 240 g | water |
| 67 g | brown sugar |
| 3 g | dried shiitake mushroom |
| 9 g | ginger |
| 45 g | shallot, thinly sliced |
| 15 g | scallion |
| 10 g | cilantro leaves |
| 2.5 g | cinnamon stick |
| 0.8 g | star anise |
| 0.2 g | bay leaf |
| 1.1 g | fennel seeds |
| 1.7 g | whole white peppercorns |
| 2 g | whole Sichuan peppercorns |
| 275 g | cooking oil (for the Sichuan red chili oil) |
| 15 g | scallion |
| 9 g | ginger |
| 6 g | garlic, sliced thinly |
| 2.5 g | cinnamon stick |
| 0.8 g | star anise |
| 0.4 g | bay leaves |
| 3 g | Sichuan peppercorn powder |
| 43 g | mild chili flakes |
| 8.1 g | spicy chili flakes |
| 13.5 g | raw sesame seeds |
| 2.9 g | salt |
| 16 g | Chinese black vinegar |
| 4 g | Lithospermum root (zicao), optional |
| 40 g | roasted peanuts (for the nut powder) |
| 20 g | roasted pecans |
| 13.5 g | roasted sesame seeds |
| 12 g | garlic (for the garlic water) |
| 60 g | water |
| 960 g | chicken stock (for the seaweed soup) |
| 70 g | bean sprouts |
| 4 g | dried seaweed |
| 5.7 g | salt |
| 1.2 g | ground black pepper, or to taste |
| 140 g | sui mi ya cai (preserved minced mustard greens, for finishing) |
| 32 g | minced scallions |
| 24 g | minced cilantro |
Instructions
Make the alkaline noodles (jian shui mian):
- Thoroughly dissolve the soda ash and salt in the water. Pour the solution into the bread flour and mix until well distributed.
- Knead using a stand mixer for 10 minutes on low, or by hand for 10 minutes until smooth.
- Divide the dough into three even parts and flatten each so it fits through a pasta roller.
- Start on the thickest pasta-roller setting and feed the dough through. Fold in half and feed through again, repeating 3-4 times until the sheet is smooth. Do this for all three pieces.
- Lower the thickness one level at a time and feed the sheets through until the desired thickness (about level 4 on a KitchenAid roller).
- Apply a generous amount of cornstarch to prevent sticking. Switch to the noodle-cutter attachment and cut uniform noodles.
- Coat the noodles with more cornstarch to prevent sticking. Cover and set aside. (Cornstarch, being gluten-free, separates the noodles longer than wheat flour.)
Make the Seasoned Sweet Soy Sauce (Fuzhi Jiangyou):
- Add all the seasoned sweet soy sauce ingredients to a sauce pot. Bring to a boil, then simmer on low without a lid for 20-30 minutes, until about 2/5 of the liquid has evaporated.
- Sieve out and discard the spices. Store the extra sauce sealed for up to 6 months at room temperature.
Make the red chili oil (you po la zi):
- Add the Sichuan peppercorn powder, mild chili powder, spicy chili powder, raw sesame seeds, salt, and Chinese black vinegar to a big bowl. Mix well and set aside.
- Add the vegetable oil, scallions, ginger slices, garlic slices, cinnamon stick, star anise, and bay leaves to a sauce pot. Heat over medium heat until the aromatics are nicely charred, 4-6 minutes. Sieve and discard the aromatics.
- Optionally, put the Lithospermum root (zicao) on the sieve and swirl it in the hot oil for 20-30 seconds; it has no flavor but dyes the oil a beautiful purple-red.
- Use a thermometer: 400F/204C is ideal. Too hot and the spices burn; too low and the fragrance won't activate.
- Pour the hot oil into the chili flake bowl in batches, stir well, and let cool. Store extra sealed for up to 4 months at room temperature or a year in the fridge.
Prep the rest:
- For the seaweed soup, bring 4 cups chicken stock to a boil. Add the bean sprouts and seaweed. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
- For the nut powder, blend the roasted pecans, peanuts, and sesame seeds into a rough powder. (If raw, bake nuts at 350F/177C for 14-16 minutes and sesame seeds for 12-14 minutes, then cool before blending.)
- For the garlic water, press the garlic cloves and mix with 1/4 cup water.
- Add the sui mi ya cai to a wok and stir over medium heat for 3 minutes to evaporate some moisture. Set aside.
Assemble one portion of flaming noodles:
- Cook the noodles in boiling water for 2-3 minutes until al dente. Remove and shake well.
- Place one portion of noodles in a big bowl. Add chili oil to taste (about 3 Tbsps), 1.5 Tbsps seasoned sweet soy sauce, 2 tsps garlic water, 1.5 Tbsps roasted nut powder, 2 Tbsps minced cilantro, 2 Tbsps minced scallions, and 2 Tbsps sui mi ya cai. Mix well. (Recipe makes 3 servings; repeat for 3 bowls.)
- Serve the flaming noodles with the seaweed soup.