Making the building blocks of Lao Peng You’s scallion noodles is just the project to while away a late-winter afternoon. Neutral oil is slowly, gently infused with four types of onions, and the byproducts in turn underscore a soy sauce that tastes deeply of caramelized alliums. You’ll wind up with generous portions of both oil and soy, but, per chef Chops Wat, they’ll keep in the fridge for several weeks, ready to lend huge flavor to a final dish that requires little more effort than boiling some noodles. The finished product is deceptively simple yet wonderfully complex.
Lao Peng You’s Scallion Noodles
Makes:1 serving
Active time:2 hours for advance prep; 15 minutes for final dish
| 3 cups | canola oil |
| 5 cups | thinly sliced scallions, white part only |
| ¼ cup | thinly sliced ginger |
| 5 cups | thinly sliced white onions |
| 4 cups | thinly sliced shallots |
| ¼ cup | cilantro |
| 2½ cups | spring onions, green part only, cut into long, flat pieces |
| 1¾ cups | light soy sauce |
| ¼ cup | dark soy sauce (available at H Mart) |
| ½ cup | lump sugar (available at H Mart) |
| ¼ cup | raw cane sugar |
| 6 oz. | fresh thin Chinese wheat noodles (available at H Mart) |
1. Make the scallion oil: In a wok, heat oil to 284 degrees. Add scallions and ginger and fry until golden, about 25 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a paper-towel-lined baking tray. Allow oil to return to 284, then add white onions and shallots and repeat the frying process. Remove and reserve shallots and onions, then add cilantro to oil, fry briefly, and remove. Heat oil to 293, then turn off the burner and add spring onions. Fry until dark and crispy, about 15 minutes, then remove from oil and reserve. Cool oil, then strain into a resealable container and reserve in the refrigerator.
2. Make the scallion soy sauce: In the wok, heat ½ cup scallion oil over medium. Add 2 cups reserved fried scallions and 3 cups reserved fried shallots and onions and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add soy sauces and ¾ cup water and bring to a boil. Add sugars, boil until dissolved, then reduce heat and simmer to meld flavors, 5 to 10 minutes. Cool and reserve in a resealable container in the refrigerator.
3. Make the dish: Cook noodles according to package instructions. Drain and place in a bowl. Top with ¼ cup scallion soy sauce (making sure to include some onion bits) and 1 tablespoon scallion oil. Top with a mixture of reserved fried shallots and onions and serve.