Cold-Dressed Noodles, Yibin-Style

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup chili oil
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 8 ounces pea shoots or spinach
• 5 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup Sichuan ya cai or preserved/pickled mustard green
• 1 pound dried Chinese noodles
• 1/4 cup toasted chopped walnuts
• 1/4 cup toasted chopped peanuts
• 1/4 cup sesame seeds
• 3 scallions, green parts only, chopped

Directions

1. In a small bowl, stir the soy sauce with the chili oil and sesame oil, then keep it nearby. Get a large pot of water boiling. Drop in the pea shoots or spinach and pull them as soon as the leaves slump, about 5 seconds. Move the greens right away into a bowl filled with cold water. Squeeze them dry, then portion the greens into 4 small bowls. Pour 1 tablespoon vegetable oil into each bowl.
2. Set a large wok over high heat and warm 1 tablespoon oil until it shimmers. Toss in the preserved vegetable and stir-fry until its aroma comes up, about 30 seconds. Scrape it into a small bowl and leave it for now.
3. Boil the noodles as directed on the package. Drain them, then rinse with cold running water.
4. Portion the noodles into the prepared serving bowls. Spoon 1/4 of the chili oil-soy mixture over each bowl. Add the stir-fried mustard greens first, then the walnuts, peanuts, sesame seeds, and scallions, dividing everything evenly among the bowls.
5. Bring the bowls to the table right away, and let everyone toss their own noodles.