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Scallion Oil Noodles
Shanghai-style noodles tossed in fragrant scallion oil and soy — salty, glossy and deeply savoury from just a handful of pantry ingredients. Adapted for a home kitchen from the original ClouChef R&D report — 葱油拌面, report 168.
Original poster image from clouchef.com (poster: 葱油拌面_168.jpeg). This is the hero poster only, not a step-by-step photo set.
Prep: 5 minutesCook: 10 minutesTotal: 15 minutesServings: 1Difficulty: EasyRegion: ShanghaiFlavour: Salty, scallion-fragrant
Why this works
The original report is explicit: the soul of the dish is the scallion oil itself. Scallions are fried in two stages — whites first, greens second — until the greens turn deep brown, which the report calls the flavour turning point. The noodles are cooked just to done, chilled briefly so they stay springy, and tossed immediately, while a spoonful of hot oil bloomed over fresh scallion mince replaces raw scallion garnish.
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Ingredients
| Ingredient | US | Metric | Substitute / note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dried alkaline wheat noodles | 3.5 oz | 100 g | Original: medium alkaline noodles. Dried ramen or other wheat noodles work; cook just to done, not soft (adaptation). |
| Scallions, cut into 4 cm lengths, whites and greens separated | 0.9 oz | 25 g | Use 20 g for the oil and 5 g finely minced for the finish, as in the original. |
| Lard, home-rendered | 1 tbsp + 2 tsp | 25 g | Original calls lard the soul of the dish. Half lard, half neutral oil is a lighter compromise; all neutral oil works but is less fragrant (adaptation). |
| Light soy sauce, low-salt | 2 tsp | 10 ml | Regular light soy works; taste before adding extra salt. |
| Dark soy sauce | 1 tsp | 5 ml | Mainly for colour. |
| Salt, for the noodle water | 1 tsp | 5 g | — |
| Cooked oil, to keep noodles from sticking | 1 tsp | 5 ml | Any neutral cooked oil. |
| Optional: half a hard-boiled marinated egg | ½ egg | ½ egg | Original optional upgrade; prepare ahead. |
Equipment
- Pot for noodles
- Small pan for the scallion oil
- Bowl for blooming the scallion mince
- Tongs or chopsticks for tossing
Steps
- Prepare. Bring a pot of water to a boil with the salt. Wash the scallions and cut into 4 cm lengths, keeping whites and greens separate. Set aside 20 g of scallion lengths for the oil and mince the remaining 5 g of greens finely.
- Cook and chill the noodles. Boil the noodles for 2 minutes, just cooked — the original warns that longer makes them soft and lifeless. Drain immediately, rinse in ice water for 10 seconds, and drain until the surface shows no water droplets. Toss with the 5 ml cooked oil so the strands do not stick.
- Fry the scallion oil. Melt the lard over medium-low heat. Add the scallion whites first and fry until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add the greens and fry until deep brown, about 3 minutes. Remove the crisp scallions and keep them for garnish; leave the oil in the pan.
- Bloom the fresh scallion. Put the 5 g of finely minced scallion greens in a small bowl. Ladle about 5 ml of the scalding scallion oil over them. This blooms the aroma and, as the original notes, heats the raw scallion rather than serving it raw.
- Season and toss. Add the light and dark soy sauces to the remaining oil and warm on low heat for just 10 seconds to bloom the soy aroma — longer risks bitterness. Pour over the noodles and toss quickly, lifting and shaking the strands so every noodle is glossy. Top with the crisp fried scallions and the bloomed scallion mince. Add the optional egg and serve at once.
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Technique: deep brown, not burnt
Medium-low heat is the control point. Too hot and the scallions turn bitter; too cool and the oil never develops its fragrance. Deep brown greens are the signal — stop there.
Variations
- With egg: add the optional marinated egg, as in the original.
- Lighter oil: use half lard and half neutral oil (adaptation).
- Double batch: scale all quantities by two, but fry the scallions in a single layer so they brown evenly (adaptation).
Frequently asked questions
Why chill the noodles in ice water?
It removes surface starch, stops the cooking, and keeps the noodles springy instead of clumping — a control point in the original.
Can I use spaghetti?
In a pinch, yes, but alkaline wheat noodles have the springy bite this dish is built around. Cook spaghetti just to done and chill the same way.
Why not just garnish with raw scallions?
The original deliberately replaces raw garnish with oil-bloomed scallion mince for both aroma and food safety.
Storage
Best eaten immediately; tossed noodles clump as they cool. The scallion oil itself keeps 3 days refrigerated — reheat gently and toss with freshly cooked noodles (adaptation).
Scallion Oil Noodles — Recipe Card
Shanghai noodles in fragrant scallion oil and soy.
Prep: 5 minutesCook: 10 minutesTotal: 15 minutesServings: 1
Ingredients: 100 g dried alkaline noodles; 25 g scallions; 25 g lard; 10 ml light soy sauce; 5 ml dark soy sauce; 5 g salt for the water; 5 ml cooked oil; optional ½ marinated egg.
Steps: 1) Boil noodles 2 minutes, ice-water 10 seconds, drain and oil lightly. 2) Fry scallion whites ~2 minutes, then greens to deep brown ~3 minutes. 3) Bloom 5 g minced scallion with hot oil. 4) Warm soy sauces in the oil 10 seconds, toss with noodles, top with crisp scallions and bloomed mince.
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Source note: ingredients, quantities and steps are adapted from the original ClouChef R&D report for 葱油拌面 (data/reports/168.md). The report's pricing, margin and marketing sections are deliberately omitted here; no B2B cost is presented as a home-cook cost. Original poster image: clouchef.com (葱油拌面_168.jpeg). Noodle and oil substitutes are adaptations and are labelled as such.