Late Night Spicy Sesame Noodles

Late Night Spicy Sesame Noodles
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5TF6YjEZT8

These are awesome and pretty quick to whip up. I altered the recipe slightly.

Alterations:
- Didn't use sichuan peppercorns or peanuts (didn't have any).
- Used storebought noodles instead of spaghetti + baking soda (THO TRY THIS, IT SEEMS INTERESTING!)
- Tried with box microplaned garlic clove and chop-minced garlic clove, both are good
- Used the following measurements for the sauce: 1tbsp tahini, 1/8th a cup of Chinkiang (black) vinegar, 1/6th a cup of soy sauce, 1tbsp of Crispy Chilli Oil (bought from an asian grocer), didn't use sugar, added a bit of sesame oil, but might be nice - just follow the normal recipe for the sauce but make these alterations
- havent tried but consider swapping the tahini out for peanut butter - might be interesting

TOPPINGS (have tried these various toppings, not all at once):
- Scallions finely chopped
- Cilantro
- Fried, poached or scrambled egg
- Minced meat (either pork or beef; get a pan searing hot, put in a layer of canola oil, put in mince, mush so it's flat across the pan and let it sit and develop a deep crunchy brown crust on the bottom, then pour in a splash of soy, black vinegar, and a teaspoon (per serving) of some sort of sugary condiment like Char Siu sauce or hoisin or maybe gochujang, and stir together - throw in some thinly sliced white ends of scallions too if you got em)
- BBQ Pork slices from the deli at woolies - these are meh
- PORK CRACKLING this is amazing if you cut into tiny cubes its crunchy
- Sesame seeds toasted
- Pea Sprouts
- Spinach, steamed in a strainer over the top of the noodles while they cook in a pot
- chilli or sesame oil to top
- havent tried but consider peanuts
I think the best toppings are the minced meat and pork crackling cause they add necessary crunch, then add an egg and some scallions/sesame seeds and some spinach or bok choi

Original Recipe by kenji:
OK, I re-made this sober and measured out a basic recipe. It's a version of liang mian, Chinese sesame noodles. If you want to make it tastier, make the chili oil yourself or infuse the oil with the Sichuan peppercorn. This is just the quick and dirty version.

Serves 1

4 ounces spaghetti or cappelini
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
salt
1 teaspoon sichuan peppercorn
1/4 cup peanuts (roast them if you prefer)
1 medium clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons sesame paste (like tahini)
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon Chinkiang vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons Chiu Chow Chili oil
small handful sliced scallions and cilantro

1. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add baking soda and a large pinch of salt. Add pasta. (It might not fit initisally, let is soften a bit then push it all under). Cook until al dente, stirring occasionally.
2. Meanwhile grind Sichuan peppercorns in a mortar and pestle. Add peanuts and pound to crush. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, combine garlic, sesame paste, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and chili oil, most of scallions and cilantro.
4. When noodles are cooked, transfer them to the bowl using tongs. Stir to sauce them, adding a few splashes of the cooking water until the sauce has a nice loose consistency.
5. Transfer to a bowl, top with remaining cilantro and scallions, and eat.
6. Sleep well.