January whizzed past at a rate of knots this year and barely anything I cooked registered as worth a blog post. Except these, which are possibly my favourite fast-food discovery for a while. Late-night food in my flat barely lifts above toast but, once again, Fuchsia Dunlop’s great book has given me reason to make a little more effort.

She calls these her emergency midnight noodles but I have not needed an emergency, nor waited until midnight to make them; if anything, they are a drama-free, everyday joy. I’ve had them for lunch and dinner, eaten them post a night out and pre and can’t recommend them highly enough. If you can get hold of the ‘olive vegetables‘, a sort of pickle of mustard greens, then great, but the noodles are just as good without.  May your 2017 be full of such delights.

Makes enough for two

Cupboard, or things you may already have
eggs, 2
a little sunflower or groundnut oil, for frying

Shopping list
spring onions, green bits only, 2
Chinese dried wheat/buckwheat noodles, about 200g
tamari soy sauce, 3-4 tbsp (you can use normal soy sauce too, but tamari is available in most supermarkets)
Chinkiang vinegar, 2 tbsp
chilli oil, about 4 tbsp
sesame oil, 1 tsp
olive vegetables, a teaspoon or so each

How to
1. Trim the spring onion greens, then chop them finely.
2. Cook the noodles according to the packet instructions and, whilst they are cooking, mix the soy sauce, vinegar and oils in a serving bowl.
3. Rinse and drain the noodles, tip into the serving bowl, add the spring onion greens and mix well. Divide between two bowls.
4. Heat a little oil in a frying pan, fry an egg per person, add to the bowls of noodles with a spoonful of olive vegetables and serve.