MAKES 1½ CUPS
This is a great addition to soups and saucy casseroles, where you want the slithery glass noodles to contribute taste as well as texture. Simmered in stock after softening in water, these glass noodles are a cut above the everyday.
You can simmer the noodles in whatever stock you like. If you have a fancy stock nested in the freezer and need to dress up a simple spinach stir-fry, now is the time to use it.
Infused glass noodles are perishable and should be refrigerated until you’re ready to use them. Use them within 2 to 3 days of simmering, or they may sour.
1 small package PRC glass noodles (1.75 to 2 ounces)
2 cups China Moon Infusion (page 72) or any tasty stock
1. Remove the noodles from the package, but don’t remove the strings binding the skein. These will hold the skein together and make cutting the noodles easier. Count the number of strings so you will know how many to cut off and won’t wind up eating them.
2. Put the noodles in a heatproof bowl. Cover with simmering water. Let stand until translucent, 5 to 10 minutes, then drain. Flush with cold water; drain again.
“Glass noodles” is the fanciful English name for what in Chinese are called “starch threads.” Made from mung bean starch, these thin, dry noodles turn translucent and glassy once soaked.
Look for glass noodles (aka mung bean threads, cellophane noodles, Chinese vermicelli) in small cellophane bags. A superior variety is made in the PRC (People’s Republic of China) and bagged with a jaunty red or argyle ribbon. Avoid Taiwanese brands, which are not as silken and delicate as their communist cousins. Unless you run a restaurant, buy the diminutive 1.75- to 2-ounce packages. These are sold individually or in nifty webbed bags containing eight or so skeins.
3. Cut the softened noodles into 2-inch lengths. Snip and discard the strings. If the noodles have a pronounced smell, flush them once again with cool water and drain.
4. In a small, heavy saucepan, bring the stock to a steaming near-simmer over moderate heat. Add the noodles, stir to combine, and bring the mixture to a weak simmer. Adjust the heat to maintain a weak simmer and cook the noodles, stirring occasionally, until the stock is mostly absorbed, about 10 minutes.
5. Transfer the noodles to a shallow dish. Use immediately or let cool, stirring occasionally to release the heat. Once cool, seal and refrigerate until ready to use.
The one sure thing about glass noodles is that you never know with a new brand whether they need to be soaked in hot tap water, barely simmered water, or dramatically boiling water. The only sure way is to make a test.
Begin with hot tap water and patiently work your way up through the other degrees of heat. A mere 5 minutes will give the results. If the noodles have turned silky and transparent, you’ve achieved what you’ve set out to do. If they remain wiry and opaque, try the next water temperature on the ascending scale.
Every once in a while, some jack-rabbit cook will cover an as yet untested brand with simmering or boiling water, and they’ll turn instantly into a weird, jellyfish-like mass. They are great objects of kitchen curiosity—the cooks, waiters, and janitors will take turns poking them as they lie ignominiously in the trash can. So unless you’re looking for a fun-house thrill for your kids, take the sure route and begin with the hot tap water test.