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Cold Noodles With Peanut Sauce

Ingredients

• Salt
• 1 medium or 2 small cucumbers
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce, or more to taste
• 1 teaspoon grated or minced fresh ginger, optional
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar or fresh lemon juice, or more to taste
• 3 drops hot sauce (like Tabasco), or more to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 12 ounces fresh or dried Chinese egg noodles
• 1/2 cup chopped scallions for garnish

Directions

1. Bring a stockpot of water to a boil and salt it.
2. Peel the cucumbers, cut them in half lengthwise, and scoop out and discard the seeds.
3. Grate the cucumber.
4. Whisk together the peanut butter, sesame oil, sugar, soy sauce, ginger, vinegar, hot sauce, and pepper in a bowl.
5. Add 1/4 cup of the hot water from the stockpot and continue to whisk.
6. The sauce should be the consistency of heavy cream; if it isn't, whisk in more hot water 1 tablespoon at a time.
7. When the water is boiling, cook the noodles until they are tender but not mushy; start tasting after 1 minute for fresh or 3 minutes for dried noodles.
8. When the noodles are done, drain them and rinse with cold running water, then drain them again.
9. Toss the noodles with the sauce and cucumbers in a bowl.
10. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding small amounts of salt, soy sauce, vinegar, hot sauce, or pepper.
11. Garnish with the scallions and serve.

Attribution