Ants Climb a Tree

From a cookbook called Mrs. Chiang's Szechwan Cookbook. Very easy, very tasty, and the name makes me grin. I love foods with kooky names like toad in the hole or moon pies.

The book tells me that this recipe is properly called mayi shang shu. I'll take Mrs. Chiang's word for it. She certainly knows what she's talking about when it comes to food.

Ants Climb A Tree

Ingredients

• 8 oz dried cellophane noodles
• 4 cups boiling water
• 1 pound ground beef or pork
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 6 scallions, chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1/2 inch piece of fresh ginger, finely minced
• 5 tablespoons peanut oil or other wok-friendly oil
• hot pepper paste to taste. Not tabasco. Not hot sauce. Hot pepper paste.
• 2/3 cup water
• salt to taste
• freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Put the noodles in a large bowl and cover them with the boiling water. Cover and set aside for 20 minutes.
2. Put the meat in a bowl and add 2 tablespoons soy sauce and all the sesame oil. Mix. Add half the chopped scallions and mix those in too. Set aside.
3. The noodles have been steeping for a while now, haven't they? Rinse them in cold water a couple times and drain well, then put them aside where they're out of the way.
4. Heat up a wok (A wok, not a pot or skillet. And not one of those dinky nonstick deals either. I mean a real steel wok that you could beat off a mugger with.) over a high flame for 15 seconds, then pour in the peanut oil. When you see the first tiny bubbles form and a few small wisps of smoke, it's hot enough.
5. Toss in the ginger and garlic. Dicker about debating how hot you want it, but not for too long, then put in the hot pepper paste. 2 tablespoons should give it a good bite. Stir fry for about 30 seconds, keeping everything moving about and making new friends.
6. Add the meat and continue to stir fry for about a minute, breaking up any large chunks of meat.
7. Pour in the rest of the soy sauce and stir fry for 30 more seconds.
8. Remember the cellophane noodles? Add them now and cook for about a minute, turning them over occasionally and taking several cuts at them so they won't be too long to eat.
9. Add water and the rest of the scallions. Taste. Add salt to your satisfaction. Personally I think it's salty enough as is, but then I'm unusual about salt.

Anyway, you want a rich, clear taste.

1. Cover and let simmer for 3 to 4 minutes.
2. Just before serving, sprinkle them with a bit of freshly ground black pepper.