Spicy Sichuan Noodles

This recipe for spicy peanut noodles is adapted from Ken Hom, the chef and cookbook author best known for his BBC television show "Ken Hom's Chinese Cookery." It is incredibly easy to put together on a weeknight, yet loaded with complex flavors and textures.

INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns
½ pound ground pork
3 tablespoons dark soy sauce
 Salt to taste
1 cup peanut oil
3 tablespoons chopped garlic
2 tablespoons finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
5 tablespoons finely chopped scallions
2 tablespoons sesame paste or smooth peanut butter
2 tablespoons chili oil
1 cup chicken stock
12 ounces fresh or dry Chinese egg noodles (or spaghetti noodles)

Heat a wok or heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the peppercorns and stir-fry for about 5 minutes until they brown slightly and start to smoke. Remove them from the heat and allow them to cool, then grind them. Set aside.

Combine the pork, 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce and 1 teaspoon of the salt and mix well. Heat a wok or skillet, add the oil and when the oil is hot, deep-fry the pork, stirring it with a spatula to break up the pieces. When the pork is crispy, about four minutes, remove it with a slotted spoon and drain it on paper towels.

Pour off all but two tablespoons of the oil. Put a pot containing 3 to 4 quarts of water on the stove and bring to a boil.

Reheat the wok with the remaining oil and stir-fry the garlic, ginger and scallions for 30 seconds, then add the sesame paste, the remaining soy sauce and salt, the chili oil and chicken stock. Simmer for four minutes. Return the pork to the pan and stir.

Cook the noodles in the boiling water two minutes if they are fresh, five minutes if they are dried (if using spaghetti, cook according to package directions). Drain in a colander. Transfer them to a serving bowl or individual bowls. Ladle on the sauce and top with the fried pork mixture. Sprinkle with the ground Sichuan peppercorns and serve.