Stir-Fried Arugula With Asian Noodles
Prep time: minimal
Serves: amounts given serve 2, but this is easily scaled upward
Do not use toasted sesame oil in this recipe. It is not meant for stir-frying.
Please read notes, below, for recipe variations and ideas.
This recipe is best prepared in a 14-inch wok. If you don’t have a wok, use your biggest sturdy frying pan.
3-4 tablespoons untoasted Asian sesame oil
3-4 tablespoons Shao Xing rice wine, dry sherry, or white wine (non-drinkers use water or unsalted vegetable broth)
2 pounds/1 kilo baby arugula or other peppery greens, washed, dried, and chopped small, if necessary
approx 16 ounces/500 grams Asian noodles, ideally Udon (see notes)
Optional:
1 minced garlic clove
1 scallion, sliced into thin rings
a piece of fresh ginger, minced
salt and pepper, to taste
Aleppo pepper, to taste
Garlic powder, to taste
Prep your greens, if necessary.
Open window and/or turn on oven fan.
Heat your wok until smoking. If using a pan that can tolerate pre-heating, go for it. If not, skip this step.
Carefully pour a generous 3-4 tablespoons sesame oil wok or other wide, deep, heatproof pan. Step back, and pour rice wine down side of pan.
Turn heat down a bit and add garlic, scallion, and ginger, if using. Stir fry for a few moments.
Now add the arugula. Using a wok spatula or comparable implement, stir continuously, marvelling as the huge pile of greens cooks down. Stir-fry for a few minutes.
Add the noodles. If additional liquid is needed, add water, more rice wine, or broth, should some be handy. Stir noodles and greens, adding liquid if needed. The dish should be moist but not soupy.
Depending on the type of noodles you’re using, stir-fried arugula with Asian noodles will take 3-5 minutes to cook. If you are using larger, older greens, cooking time will be longer.
Turn heat down and taste for seasoning. You may want to add salt, pepper, or a splash of soy sauce. As noted in the post, I added Aleppo pepper and garlic powder to one version, so pass that along.
Serve immediately with your favorite condiments. At our house this means chili oil and XO Sauce.
Leftover stir-fry may be refrigerated in a covered container up to three days. Stir-fried arugula with Asian noodles is not the best keeper: after a few days the noodles become gluey. Eat this up quickly.
Notes:
I used a ratio of 2 pounds/1 kilo greens to 16 ounces/500 grams noodles. These amounts are not cast in stone. Adjust them as you please.
As discussed in the post, the recipe uses pre-washed baby arugula, which requires no prep. Use whatever greens you like, bearing in mind peppery greens are ideal. Cooking times may be longer for older, tougher greens.
I use udon noodles sold in ten-ounce packages. I make this dish with two packs, or 20 ounces, but for ease of translation into metric, call for for 16 ounces/500 grams in the recipe. We’re not baking a cake here; precision isn’t essential. As with the greens, use whatever noodles you prefer. Thicker noodles work best in this recipe.
Theme and variation: add chopped cooked chicken, pork, or firm tofu. Korean rice sticks would be good here, and yes, I know it’s double starch. Water chestnuts, walnuts, and mushrooms would also be good.