Hakka Noodles with Crispy Bacon

Spicy, crispy, tangy and delicious, make this Indo-Chinese takeout classic at home, Zing-ed up with a few heaping spoons of Hakka-ish Chili Crisp.

Serves 2

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 slices of bacon/pancetta
• 4 green onions
• ¼ a red onion
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tbsp chinese black vinegar 
• 1 tbsp salt
• ½ a red pepper
• 2 tbsp Hakka-ish Chilli Crisp
• 200g fresh egg noodles (or dried if that’s what you have)

Method:

1. First, heat your pan over a medium heat. Slice the bacon into chunks (i.e. lardons in restaurant lingo) and add to the pan, no oil necessary. Let these render and crisp up while you prepare everything else. 
2. Slice the pepper into 1cm thick slices. Cut your onion into large slices, around 2cm thick so they stay crispy. Slice the greens of the green onions, and cut the white parts into 1 inch chunks. 
3. Bring a pot of water to a boil, add the salt, and then add the noodles. They’re fresh so only cook them for around 30 seconds. If using dried noodles, cook around 1 minute less than the packet recommends. When cooked, rinse with cold water, and let sit in a colander to drain. 
4. When the bacon is crispy, remove from the pan and set aside. Don’t throw away any of that delicious bacon fat. Turn the pan up to high, and add onions. Stir frequently and cook for 30 seconds, and then add the peppers, and the white part of the scallions. Cook for a further 30 seconds and remove from the pan. We’re cooking in batches, as domestic stoves don’t get as hot as wok burners, so we need to cook in smaller batches to get a similar effect. 
5. Bring the pan back up to a high temp, and add your well drained noodles. Spread out on the pan, and let sit. If you stir too quickly, the noodles will stick. Let the noodles cook for 2 minutes, and then stir. They should have gotten all crispy, delicious, and slightly charred. Cook for another minute, and remove from the heat. Add the veggies, bacon, light soy, dark soy and vinegar to the pan and toss together. Add a little water to loosen it up if it’s too dry, but only add a couple tablespoons at a time, as it’s easier to add more than to remove. 
6. To serve, divide the noodles between 2 bowls, or serve family style on a platter. Spoon over the Hakka-ish, and garnish with the green onions. Prepare to cook this again the next day. So. Good. 

Notes: Stir fries like this are a great way to use whatever veg you have lying around your fridge! If you don't have Chinese black vinegar - you could use red wine vinegar, or really any other vinegar except balsamic! 

Make it vegan: Use tofu instead of bacon, and use udon noodles, or any fresh noodles that don’t contain eggs.