Tian Shui Mian
甜水面·(tián shuǐ miàn)
The 7:30 AM Awakening (Sichuan Breakfasts)
At 7:30 a.m. in Chengdu, the morning runs on chopstick-thick noodles, sweet soy sauce, black vinegar, and roasted chilies. The backbone of this dish is a slow-simmered elixir called Fuzhi Jiangyou. Brew a batch of this sweet soy on a Sunday and keep it in your fridge. On a Wednesday night, or a bleary-eyed Saturday morning, boil some thick udon, spoon this dark syrup over the top with a heavy dollop of chili oil, pull the noodles through the sludge at the bottom of the bowl, and eat them fast.
Before you start
Combine the soy sauce, sugar, water, and aromatics in a saucepan.
Place the light soy sauce, dark brown sugar, 2 tablespoons of water, star anise, cinnamon, fennel seeds, black cardamom, fresh ginger, and sand ginger over medium heat, stirring until the sugar completely dissolves.
Simmer the sauce until it reaches a syrupy consistency.
Once it reaches a gentle boil, reduce the heat to the absolute lowest setting and simmer uncovered for 25 to 35 minutes. You want the liquid to reduce by roughly a third until it coats the back of a spoon like maple syrup.
Cool and strain the Fuzhi Jiangyou.
Remove from heat and let it cool in the pan, where it will thicken significantly. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean glass jar, discarding the spices, and store in the refrigerator for up to three months.
Ingredients
- light soy sauce1 cup
- dark brown sugar1/2 cup
- water1/4 cup
- star anise2 small
- cinnamon stick1 small
- fennel seeds1 tsp
- Chinese black cardamom1 small
- fresh ginger1 small
- dried sand ginger2 small
- thick udon noodles400 g
- Sichuan chili oil3 tbsp
- Chinese sesame paste2 tsp
- garlic2 small clove
- toasted sesame oil1/2 tsp
- Sichuan peppercorn powder1/2 tsp
- MSG1/8 tsp
- roasted peanuts2 tbsp
- toasted white sesame seeds2 tsp
Method
- 01
Prepare the garlic water.
Mix the smashed garlic paste with 2 tablespoons of warm water and let it sit for 5 minutes.
- 02
Boil the udon noodles.
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and drop in the udon. Cook according to the package directions, usually 2 to 3 minutes, just until perfectly chewy and heated through. Drain vigorously.
- 03
Portion the noodles and assemble the flavor matrix.
Divide the hot noodles into two serving bowls. Directly over the top of each bowl, add 1 tablespoon of your prepared Fuzhi Jiangyou, 1 1/2 tablespoons of chili oil, 1 teaspoon of sesame paste, 1 tablespoon of garlic water, 1/4 teaspoon of sesame oil, 1/4 teaspoon of Sichuan peppercorn powder, and a tiny pinch of MSG.
- 04
Garnish and serve immediately.
Top with the crushed peanuts and toasted sesame seeds. The diner's job is to use their chopsticks to vigorously toss the thick noodles, coating every strand in the dark, sweet, and spicy sauce.
Notes
Do not substitute the noodles with thin varieties.
Tian Shui Mian relies on thick, chewy 'stick noodles' to stand up to the heavy, viscous sauce. High-quality fresh or frozen Sanuki udon is the perfect weeknight substitute to achieve this texture without kneading dough from scratch.
The Fuzhi Jiangyou is non-negotiable.
Substituting raw soy sauce mixed with sugar will yield an abrasive, sharp flavor that entirely misses the mark. The slow simmer transforms the sharp salinity into a complex, mellow nectar.
From Cook Sichuan in America.