Chongqing Wanza Noodles

Sort and rinse 100 g dried whole yellow peas. Cover with 500 ml cold water and soak in the fridge for 8–12 hours, keeping them submerged. Discard the soaking water, rinse and drain.

Put the soaked peas and 800 ml fresh water in a small pot. Bring to a boil, partly cover and simmer for about 90–120 minutes until easily crushed and creamy on the surface. Top up to keep covered; continue if any centers are firm. Spoon out with a little thick cooking liquid and keep covered and warm.

Near the end of the pea cooking, mince 10 g ginger and 4 garlic cloves, and slice 2 spring onions. Split garlic equally between sauce and bowls; split spring onions equally between bowl bases and garnish. Grind ½ tsp Sichuan peppercorns finely and chop 1 tbsp doubanjiang.

Heat 2 tsp cooking oil in the wok over medium heat. Break up 150 g ground pork and fry for about 5–7 minutes until no pink remains, moisture has largely evaporated and the crumbs turn lightly golden.

Lower the heat. Fry all the ginger and the sauce half of the garlic for 30 seconds, then add 1 tbsp doubanjiang and fry for about a minute until the oil turns red. Add 1 tbsp sweet bean sauce, 1 tsp light soy sauce, ½ tsp dark soy sauce, ¼ tsp sugar and 100 ml water. Simmer 8–10 minutes until glossy and thick; add a splash of water if drying out or reduce further if watery.

Bring 3,000 ml noodle water to a boil in a separate pot; separately boil 100 ml fresh water. Divide the reserved garlic and bowl-base spring onions between two bowls. To each add 1 tbsp chili oil, half the ground Sichuan pepper, ½ tsp light soy sauce, ⅛ tsp sugar, 1 tsp lard and 50 ml fresh boiling water. Stir until the lard and sugar dissolve.

Add 300 g fresh alkaline noodles to the large pot of boiling water and separate with long chopsticks. Follow the packet timing, checking from about 2–3 minutes. Bite a strand; lift when the hard floury center is gone and the noodle remains springy. If still floury, check again every 15 seconds.

Drain the noodles and immediately divide between the seasoned bowls; toss first. Divide the warm peas with their clinging thick liquid and all the pork sauce equally over the noodles. Add the remaining spring onions. Serve hot and toss thoroughly so the peas, pork and chili seasoning coat the strands.