Crack Slurp Noodles

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I hope you are with full tummies and friends and family right now. I am. Just about now, when this post is being published, I’m probably thinking “if I try really hard can I fit a piece of pumpkin pie in me without getting sick because I ate so much delicious turkey and stuffing!?”
Today I want to share something else with you, though. A blog I am thankful for 😀
There is little things I love to eat as much as I love Asian noodles. Recently I discovered the most amazing Lady And Pups Blog. Guys, I want to make every single thing that is on this blog. I feel like I found a treasure box and her photography is so amazing and makes you just drool yourself. Which is a pretty good thing when you have a food blog.
There is several things on my immediate to do list but this Crack Slurp noodles looked too amazing to wait so I ordered a few ingredients from Amazon, found rest of them at my local Asian market and I got to work.

I have to say that these are so comforting, not something I, a girl from Croatia, would think to use when speaking of Asian cuisine, stuff I grew up couldn’t be more far from Asian food if I wanted it to, but there is something that reminds me of my moms cooking in this dish.
It is like combining the most delicious chicken skins form my moms roasted chickens we had almost every Sunday, wide noodles that she used to cook and combine with whatever roast drippings (read flavorful fat :D) we had (still my favorite noodles to this day) and add to it some amazing tastes from Asia. Winner, winner chicken dinner. Well, almost chicken dinner. 😀

I thought this would be much more complicated to make when I was first going through the list and instructions, but it is really, really not that bad at all.
I’m not messing with the good thing so I will just post her exact instructions and tell you to just try making it. And then go to her blog to find some other freaking fabulous dishes like this finger sucking roasted beer duck (I mean really!!!) and get addicted like I did!

Crack Slurp Noodles
by Lady And Pups


The crack (makes for 2 servings):

6.2 oz (175 grams/approx from 2 large whole legs) of chicken skins, rinsed clean and dab dry
5 small or 4 medium Asian shallots, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp of fine sea salt
1/2 tsp of ground white pepper

To make the crack:  Stack the chicken skins on top of each other over a large plastic-wrap.  Roll the chicken skins into a thick log as tightly as you can, then twist the two ends of the plastic-wrap together to secure.  Apply another layer of plastic-wrap if need to.  Freeze for at least 2 hours until harden.  Then remove from the plastic-wrap and cut into thin slices, which will give you even strips of chicken skins.  Add the skins to a non-stick pot/non-stick deep skillet (just trust me on this…) over medium heat.  Let the skins render out its own fat, and stir occasionally as they slowly dehydrate and crisp up as they fries (they will get sticky mid-way through frying, then not-sticky again when they’re done), until they are golden-brown and crispy, approx 8~9 min.  Drain through a fine sieve.  Then season it immediately with 1/4 tsp of fine sea salt and 1/4 tsp of ground white paper.  Set aside.

You should have approx 1/4 ~ 1/3 cup of chicken fat.  Add however much vegetable oil you need to make it a heaping 1/2 cup, and return it to the same pot/skillet.  Add the thinly sliced shallots and cook over medium-low heat.  Stir constantly until the shallots dehydrates and turn lightly golden-browned, approx 10 min (they will continue to darken a bit, and will crisp up after removed from the oil).  Drain through a fine sieve, then immediately season with 1/4 tsp of fine sea salt and 1/4 tsp of ground white pepper.  Mix the fried shallots and chicken cracklings together, season with more fine sea salt if need to.  Set aside.

(If you want to store crack.  Freeze the chicken crackling + fried shallots in an air-tight container, and refrigerate the oil in an air-tight container.)

The slurp/noodle (makes for 1 serving only/for each bowl):

2 tbsp of crack-oil (the reserved fat)
3 tbsp of crack (chicken crackling + fried shallots)
14 oz (400 grams) of fresh, thick-cut Chinese hand-rolled noodles
1/2 tbsp of sichuan douban chili paste ***(I purchased it on Amazon)
1 1/2 tbsp of soy sauce
1/4 tsp of dark soy sauce (mainly adds color to the dish)
1/4 tsp of rice vinegar
1/4 tsp of sugar
1/8 tsp of MSG, optional ***(I didn’t put any MSG)
1/2 tsp of ground red sichuan peppercorn ***(purchased at local Asian market)
1/2 tsp of ground white pepper
1 smashed garlic clove
1/4 cup of finely diced scallions


To assemble:

Bring a large pot of water to boil.Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix 2 tbsp of crack-oil, douban chili paste, all the seasonings and spices, and 1 smashed garlic clove (smashed enough to release flavor, but intact so you can pick it out later) until even.  Cook the noodle until done, then drain through a slotted spoon and add to the bowl.  Mix well, add a couple tbsp of the cooking water if it’s too dry.  Then top with 3 tbsp of crack and the diced scallions.  Mix again, and slurp.