Hot and Sour Noodle Soup

• 200g sweet potato noodles
• 200g pork mince
• 3-4 Gherkins, finely chopped
• 4 spring onions
• 3 garlic cloves
• A thumb size piece of ginger
• Handful of coriander to garnish
• 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
• ½ tbsp dark soy sauce
• 2 tbsp roasted peanuts skin on
• Chilli paste 
• 12 dried chillies 
• 1 tbsp sichuan peppercorns 

• Broth
• 300ml chicken stock
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 2 tbsp Chinkiang vinegar

Start by boiling the noodles for 5 or so minutes, then remove and place into the serving bowl for later.

While the noodles are boiling, add your light soy and Shaoxing wine to the pork and marinade well.

On a wok at medium heat, heat 2 tablespoons of oil. Fry the sichuan peppercorns and the chillies until they become fragrant (1 -2 minutes). Drain the excess oil and transfer to a mortar crushing both ingredients and form a very rough paste.  

Finely chop the garlic and ginger and set aside. Finely slice the spring onion and set aside in the same mixing bowl as the chopped ginger and garlic. 

Heat half a tablespoon of oil in a wok over medium heat. Add the spring onion, ginger and garlic mix and stir fry for 2 minutes. Add the marinated pork, and leave it to sear for a minute or two before stir-frying. Once the pork has browned for a couple of minutes, add the pickled vegetables and the chilli paste, then cook for an extra two minutes. Place on top of your cooked noodles in the serving bowl

Bring the chicken stock up to a boil and season with light soy sauce and give it some colour with a couple dashes of dark soy. Add in the Chinkiang vinegar and simmer for 2-3 minutes for the sourness. Ladle over the noodles and pork mixture, and garnish with roasted peanuts, coriander and spring onions.