Jean-Georges's Sesame Noodles

Ingredients

For the broth:

• ½ cup soy sauce
• ¼ cup black vinegar
• ¼ cup rice vinegar
• ¼ cup shao shing wine
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 ounce fresh cilantro
• ½ hot red chili
• 1 cinnamon stick, crushed
• 1 tablespoon coriander seeds

For the sesame-peanut paste:

• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon puréed fresh ginger root
• ½ teaspoon puréed garlic
• 1 Thai chili, broken into small pieces
• ¾ cup toasted peanuts, chopped
• ¾ cup toasted sesame seeds
• Dark sesame oil
• Peanut oil
• Salt to taste
• Cayenne pepper to taste
• 5 ounces bean-paste
• vermicelli noodles

For the crystallized wasabi:

• 9 tablespoons sugar
• 4 tablespoons wasabi powder

For the garnish:

• Slivered apples, cucumbers, scallions and fresh bean sprouts

4 servings

Preparation

1. To make the broth, boil the soy sauce, vinegars, wine and sugar, stirring to dissolve. Add the remaining ingredients and steep, covered, 45 minutes.
2. To make the paste, sauté the sugar, ginger, garlic and chili until it is coated with melted sugar and caramelized. Reserve 2 tablespoons each peanuts and sesame seeds for garnish and blend the remainder in a food processor with the ginger mixture, adding the oils to make a paste. Season with salt and cayenne.
3. Cover the noodles with 1 quart boiling water and stir until loosened. Set aside until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain.
4. To make the crystallized wasabi, mix the sugar and wasabi powder thoroughly, then add 5 to 6 teaspoons cold water until ”pebbles” form.
5. To serve, spoon 1/4 cup broth into each of 4 shallow serving bowls. Add 1/8 of the noodles, the paste and the garnishes, including the peanuts and seeds, then Repeat. Crumble wasabi pebbles around the noodles in the broth.

1 hour 15 minutes