Sesame Noodles with Chili Oil & Scallions

To make the chili oil, in a stainless-steel bowl, combine the green onions, ginger, peppercorns, gochugaru, garlic, jalapeño and arból chiles, sesame seeds, salt and sugar.

Pour the grapeseed oil into a small saucepan and turn the burner to medium-high heat. Warm the oil until it just starts to smoke, about 8 minutes. Turn off the heat and pour the oil over the ingredients in the bowl and stir thoroughly. Set aside to let cool. Once cooled, the chili oil can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

To make the sesame dressing, in a high-speed blender, combine 2 cups (16 fl. oz./500 ml) water, the sesame seeds, ginger, black vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil and salt. Blend at high speed until thoroughly combined and emulsified. Stir in the garlic. The dressing can be made up to 2 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator; bring to room temperature before serving.

To make the green onion oil, in a small fry pan over medium heat, warm the grapeseed oil. Add the whites of the green onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook the noodles until al dente, according to the packaging instructions. Drain, rinse under cold water and drain well.

In a large bowl, toss the noodles with the sesame dressing to coat. Drizzle with the green onion oil, as desired. Top with the green parts of the green onions, drizzle with the chili oil, as desired, and serve immediately. Serves 4 to 6.

Recipe courtesy of Mei Lin