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I didn’t quite manage to pull them from a single lump of dough, but Chef Chou taught the class how to stretch and bounce strips of dough into long, thing noodles. The students in the class took our hand-cut and twisted noodles and managed to make them into a variety of delicious dishes with her guidance. Along the way, she shared the tips and techniques she has picked up while living in Beijing. Here are a few highlights:

Don’t Overdo the Meat: Thinking of meat as a seasoning, rather than a main component, can be a great way to add a richer flavor without overpowering vegetables (and save some money). For Tian Tian Cao Mian, we used only a small handful of ground pork in a dish that fed four.

Trust the Dough: Noodle dough is very forgiving. You don’t need to fuss and fret. You can always add more flour and water as needed to get a soft, silky dough. Simply letting it rest after kneading will give the dough a chance to relax and make it easier to work with.

Foreign Flour: Flours in China are silkier and whiter than American flours. To recreate similar flour for noodles at home, mix a three-to-one ratio of bread flour to cake flour.

Waste Not, Want Not: An easy way to peel fresh ginger is to use the edge of a spoon. There will be less waste than cutting away the outer peel with a knife.

Size Matters: When you cut all the components of a dish to a similar size you will get a little bit of everything in each forkful (or chopstick-ful). That way you experience the contrast of textures of crunchy and soft ingredients in every bite. While our noodles were not as thin or uniform as those from a package, they were beautiful in their own, rustic way. After a little (or maybe a lot) of practice, I’m sure my noodles will match a master noodle puller’s.

Interested in learning how to make more authentic Chinese dishes? Check out the coming up at ICE!