Ants Climbing a Tree

Ants Climbing a Tree
(ma yi shang shu) A simple, tasty dish originating in Sichuan.



This dish is made from mung bean noodles (also known as bean thread noodles or Chinese vermicelli). These are normally very thin, and after soaking in water become translucent. They make an interesting change from the more usual wheat flour noodles. Now, about that name: the bits of minced meat are meant to stick to the noodle strands, and that, so they say, looks like ants crawling through the branches of a tree. Fanciful maybe, but very easy to remember.


Ingredients
200g (7 oz) mung bean noodles
200g (7 oz) lean minced pork
4 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine
2 tablespoons chilli sauce
1 teaspoon corn flour
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 stalks spring onion, sliced into small pieces
1/2 cup chicken stock
Garnish: cilantro or spring onion

Method

1. Add soy sauce, rice wine, chilli sauce, and corn flour to a bowl. Mix in pork and marinate for 30 minutes.
2. Soak the noodles in hot water for 20 minutes, then drain.
3. Heat the wok, and add the oil. Cook the pork mixture over a high heat for 2 minutes. Add spring onions and cook until pork is browned.
4. Add chicken stock, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook for a further 2 or 3 minutes, stirring well.
5. Add noodles to wok. Stir until noodles and sauce are blended well together and most of the liquid has been absorbed. Garnish and serve.