Chili crisp cold noodles

Boil the noodles in salted water while the dressing is made.

In a bowl combine smooth natural peanut butter, Chinese black vinegar, rice vinegar, soy sauce, minced garlic, minced or grated ginger, a little white sugar and toasted sesame oil.

Whisk to break it up; splash in some hot starchy water from the noodle pot and keep stirring until smooth and slightly thinned.

Stir in chili crisp to taste; the dressing is done.

When the noodles are cooked, drain them in a strainer, return to the pot and fill with cold water to cool them and rinse off the surface starch.

Drain again, refill with cold water and swish the noodles by hand to remove residual starch; leave to soak in the cold water a couple of minutes.

Julienne carrots and sections of English cucumber on a mandolin, using a guard or cut-proof glove.

Drain the cold noodles and add to the dressing with the vegetables, sliced green onions and toasted sesame seeds; toss thoroughly with tongs.

Serve immediately, or scrape down the sides, cover and refrigerate about an hour, or as long as overnight, for the flavours to develop.

Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with more sesame seeds, a spoonful of chili crisp and sliced green onions.

Variation: serve on crisp greens as a base for sliced meat (soy-honey glazed chicken breast here), topped with chili oil, chopped peanuts and chopped cilantro.

Variation: spoon a tangle of noodles into butter, bibb or romaine lettuce leaves as lettuce cups, topped with chicken, grilled steak or barbecue pork.