Sesame rice noodles with everything oil' and c

Ingredients

300 g dried thick rice noodles

2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

135 g (½ cup) tahini

1 garlic clove, grated extra-virgin olive oil

750 g (about 2 heads) broccoli, cut into florets

2-3 tablespoons Everything Oil (see page 25)

2 shallots, finely sliced handful of coriander leaves

sea salt and black pepper

Directions

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil and cook the rice noodles according to the packet instructions until al dente, about 6-7 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water, then drain again. Add the sesame oil and toss to coat the noodles.

Whisk together the tahini, garlic and 125-185 ml (½-¾ cup) of room-temperature water until smooth, with a pourable consistency. Season with sea salt and black pepper.

Heat a large frying pan or chargrill pan over high heat. When hot, drizzle with olive oil, add the broccoli florets and season with sea salt and black pepper. Cook, turning regularly, for 5-7 minutes until charred and just tender. In a large bowl, combine the noodles, charred broccoli and tahini sauce, and drizzle with olive oil. Season with sea salt and black pepper. Transfer the noodles to individual bowls and drizzle with as much (or as little) everything oil as you like. Top with shallot and coriander. Eat at room temperature.

Notes

Tahini may not seem like an obvious sauce for noodles, but it is not as unusual as it sounds. Sesame noodles is a popular Sichuan dish, traditionally made with Chinese sesame paste and usually served cold. The Chinese version of sesame paste is similar to tahini, but is made with sesame seeds that are deeply toasted before grinding, resulting in a deep brown paste that is slightly thicker, with a consistency akin to peanut butter. Since tahini is much more accessible and a pantry

staple, it is my preferred ingredient for this quick weeknight dish.

I like my sesame noodles with a hefty amount of heat, and the complex

flavours of my 'everything oil' work perfectly here. Make this dish your

own by adding whatever roasted vegetables you have on hand.