Longevity noodle w/ black sesame and crispy shallots

Servings: 4

You should be able to find this type of noodles in most Asian supermarkets, or such as this one from online sources.  Or you can substitute with the shorter, Japanese version called somen (hair noodle).

 Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp (42 grams) toasted sesame oil
• 1 tbsp (17 grams) black sesame paste
• 1 tbsp grated ginger
• 3 cloves grated garlics
• 1/3 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup (30 grams) crispy fried shallots, homemade or store-bought
• The best, densest chicken broth you have (this is how I make mine)
• Splashes of sake wine
• 4 servings of mian-xian/noodle threads, or somen
• ground white pepper to season

Evenly mix toasted sesame oil, black sesame paste, grated ginger, grated garlic and salt together, then set aside.  If you’re frying your own shallots, drain them well after frying and season with a good pinch of salt.  If you are using store-bought, sautée it slightly over medium low heat to bring it back to life, and season with a bit of salt.  Crush the crispy shallots until resembling coarse breadcrumbs.

Bring your chicken broth to a boil, then season well with salt.  Ladle the broth into serving bowls then add a dash of sake, and swirl in 1 scant tbsp of the black sesame-mixture for each bowl.  Bring a large pot of water to boil, and cook the noodles just until done (it should only take a couple min).  Drain well, then transfer into the soup.  Top generously with crispy fried shallots and dust with white pepper.  Serve immediately.