Ants Climbing A Tree — this phrase doesn’t seem to have anything to do with food, but it’s actually the name of a spicy Sichuanese dish!
It got its whimsical name because of the ground pork mixed in the noodles that people say look like ants on tree twigs. It can be made with either mung bean noodles or potato starch noodles. The key is to soften the noodles in hot water ahead of time before stir-frying the noodles with the rest of the ingredients.
Recipe (Serves two people)
- Vegetable oil x 3 tablespoons
- Mung bean noodles x 100g (0.2lb)
- Ground pork x 115g (0.25lb)
- Dark soy sauce x 2 teaspoons
- Garlic cloves x 2, minced
- White sugar x 1 teaspoon
- Fine sea salt x 1/2 teaspoon
- Fermented bean paste (doubanjiang) x 2 teaspoons
- Low-sodium chicken stock x 60ml (2oz)
- Scallion x 1, minced
- Cooked white rice, for serving (optional)
Steps:
- Put the mung bean noodles in a large heatproof bowl and pour boiling water into the bowl. Submerge the noodles until it's soft, about three to five minutes.
- Drain the noodles with a colander and transfer it to a clean bowl.
- Add dark soy sauce and mix it with the noodles. Set aside.
- Add the vegetable oil to a wok set over medium-high heat.
- When the oil is hot and shimmering, add the ground pork and cook until the edges are opaque, about one minute.
- Add garlic and the fermented bean paste until the pork is thoroughly coated in the bean paste, about 20 seconds.
- Add the mung bean noodles, sugar, salt, and chicken stock. Cook them, stirring constantly, until the noodles absorb the chicken stock.
- Add the scallions. Mix it with the noodles, turn off the heat, and serve. Enjoy the dish with white rice.
