Spicy Pork Noodles with Bok Choy...Gluten Free!

Maxim's Palace Hong Kong as I've never seen it...

empty!I

love dim sum, the tapas of China. I will never forget Andrew and my visit to one of the

world’s most famous dim sum palaces, the strangely named Maxim’s Palace in Hong

Kong. And if you think it’s an odd name

for a completely Chinese restaurant, you will likely find it equally surprising

that the place takes up the entire second floor of Hong Kong’s City Hall. There, in a vast space that resembles a

western-style hotel ballroom complete with chandeliers, legions of Chinese

ladies push cart after cart of dim sum through a maze of tables for 12. The place is perennially packed, takes no

reservations and requires a level of patience which quickly escalates the

longer the wait. We went there on a

Sunday at noon. You might have been able

to convince me that every family in Hong Kong was there, so massive were the

crowds and so long was the wait. But

the dim sum were sublime, the best I’d ever tasted. I’ve wondered if I could ever re-create some

of the dishes there. So I was delighted

to see that David Tanis had taken up the challenge. In his New York Times column, David came up

with a recipe for one particular dim sum for which I have a special

fondness. It’s the spicy pork-filled

dumpling full of garlic, ginger and chiles.

And he did so without having to fill endless wanton wrappers to enjoy

the flavors of this very satisfying dish.

Chef David TanisWhat

Chef Tanis did was to take the essence of the meat filling with its savory pork

and tons of ginger to which he added silky bok choy. He didn't make it into a dumpling at all. Instead he added rice noodles to substitute for the

wantons. These noodles, often found in

Pad Thai, added texture to the dish and, for all those concerned about it, made

the recipe gluten free. It’s a very

flexible recipe so if you’d care to swap out the ground pork for ground turkey

or chicken, be his guest. You could also

use kale or Napa cabbage in lieu of the bok choy. I keep a fairly good-sized Asian Pantry as I

love to stir-fry. But if yours doesn’t extend to Chinese Black Vinegar, which

is sprinkled over the sliced ginger, Chef Tanis says you can either leave it

out or substitute balsamic vinegar which, although sweeter, will have a similar

caramel notes to play off the ginger.

It takes all of 45 minutes to put together, probably not for the busiest

night of the week but perfect when you can spare an extra 15 minutes or

so. Here is the recipe:

Recipe for Spicy Pork Noodles with Bok Choy from David Tanis in

the New York Times.

Serves 4. Takes 45 minutes to make. Get all ingredients prepped before you start

cooking.

12

• ounces baby bok choy (3 or 4 small heads)
• 1 ounce ginger root (1 fat
• 2-inch-thick knob)
• 8 ounces rice noodles, the ¼
• inch wide size is best
• 2 tablespoons peanut or
• safflower oil
• 1 pound lean ground pork
• 1/4 cup plus 1 1/2
• tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice wine
• vinegar
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced
• scallions
• 3 garlic cloves, finely
• chopped
• 1 fresh Thai or habanero
• chile, seeded if desired, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame
• seeds
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil,
• more for drizzling
• Cilantro or torn basil, for
• serving
• Black vinegar, for serving

Trim

bok choy and separate dark green tops from white stems; leave tops whole and

thinly slice stems.

2.

Peel ginger and finely chop half of it. Slice remaining

ginger into thin matchsticks.

Bring

a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add noodles and cook according to

package instructions. Drain and run under cool water; drain again.

Heat

1 tablespoon peanut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork and

cook, breaking up with a fork, until golden and cooked through, about 10

minutes. Season with salt, 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce and 1/2 tablespoon rice

wine vinegar. Use a slotted spoon to transfer meat to a bowl.

Add

remaining 1 tablespoon oil to skillet. Stir in half the scallions, the finely

chopped ginger, the garlic and the chile. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

6.

Add bok choy stems and a pinch of salt. Cook until bok choy is almost tender,

about 2 minutes. Toss in leaves and return pork to skillet.

Toss

noodles, remaining 1/4 cup soy sauce and 1 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar into

the pan. Cook until just warmed through.

Transfer

to a large bowl and toss with remaining scallions, sesame seeds, sesame oil and

herbs.

9.

In a small bowl, combine ginger matchsticks with just enough black

vinegar to cover. Serve ginger mixture alongside noodles as a garnish.