Quick homemade noodles with spicy Sichuan sauce...then stir as you like

Having more time at home this year (the combination of coronavirus and childbirth) gave me a new passion for making things from scratch. I made a small daschund toy for my toddler, and made some bowls out of clay-but none of them were as satisfying as making these potato flour noodles. They are fast and easy (to put together in less than 20 minutes), and they are as flexible as a trampoline. I put them in the classic and addictive Sichuan-style (a bit clear nose) chutney, but once you master them, the world is your oyster (mushroom).

Potato flour (also called potato starch), chili oil, and black vinegar are easily available in Chinese grocery stores and souschef.co.uk-if you can’t find black vinegar, substitute another very sharp vinegar. For example, as a cheap but pleasant balsam.

Prepare for 10 minutes and cook for 30 minutes for 2 to 3 servings

Sauce 5 shallots, chopped and finely chopped 2 tbsp chili oil-I like Lee Kum Kee's, 3 tbsp light soy sauce found everywhere in the supermarket 1½ tbsp roasted sesame oil 2½ tbsp Chinese black vinegar rapeseed oil 4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed 250 grams of cabbage, finely chopped lengthwise 40 grams of ground (or appropriately mashed) salted peanuts

Use 250 grams of potato flour for noodles, add a little kneading and 1 tablespoon of rapeseed oil

For the sauce, put half of the green onions in a bowl with chili oil, soybeans, sesame oil, and vinegar.

To make potato noodles, put flour in a bowl, pour 200 ml of boiling water, and add a tablespoon of oil. Let it sit for a few minutes until it is cold enough to touch, then use a spoon to knead it into a rough dough.

Sprinkle a little flour on the workbench, pour out the dough, knead it for five minutes, press your knuckles in, and fold it as you go, until it is smooth and elastic.

Roll out into a ½ cm thick rectangle, and then cut into ½ cm wide noodle strips.

To boil the noodles, bring a large pot of water to a boil, prepare a sieve and a large pot of cold water. Add the noodles to boiling water and cook for about four minutes until they reach the surface. Pour into a sieve, directly into a pot of cold water, let it cool completely, and then drain again.

For the sauce, heat a tablespoon of oil in a saucepan, and once it gets hot, add the garlic. Stir fry for a minute, then add cabbage and sauce. Cook for a minute, then add the noodles, stir and let the sauce evaporate and form a shiny coating on top.

Check the seasoning and transfer the noodles and sauce to two plates. Sprinkle with salted peanuts and reserved spring onions and serve.