Cold spicy sesame noodles

The secret to this dish is the balance of flavours in the sauce: spicy, salty, sweet, savoury.

Fresh from the garden: spring onions, ginger, garlic
Recipe source: adapted from a recipe by Diana Lampe on goodfood.com.au
Serves: 6 at home or 24 tastes

What to do:

• For the sesame sauce: Peel and finely grate the ginger to yield 1 tablespoon. Peel and squeeze the garlic cloves through the press. Pick through the Sichuan pepper, removing any gritty black seeds and small twigs. Toast in a heavy pan over low heat until fragrant and beginning to smoke, being careful not to scorch it. Grind the seeds while hot with a mortar and pestle. Sieve through a fine strainer and discard the pale bits left behind.
• Mix together these and the remaining ingredients for the sesame sauce. Taste and make any adjustments you like. It will be quite spicy but will be less so when mixed with the noodles. Chill in the fridge until ready to use.
• For the noodles: Boil a large saucepan of water and add salt. Have a bowl ready of cold water with some ice cubes. Throw the bean sprouts into the boiling water for a few seconds, then lift them out and plunge into the iced water. Drain and chill.
• Add the noodles to the boiling water & stir to separate. Cook for the time suggested on the packet until tender. Drain the noodles & tip into the cold water. Drain & toss with the oil to stop them sticking and spread out to dry on the tray, and chill in the fridge until needed.
• Wash the spring onions, trimming and removing the first layers if needed and finely slice into thin rounds. Toast the sesame seeds gently in the frying pan until lightly coloured.
• To serve: Divide the bean sprouts between your serving bowls, then place the noodles on top. Scatter the spring onions and sesame seeds, then pour the sesame sauce over the noodles and mix through.