From Brussels to Beijing

Tagliatelle "Udon", Tacchino allo Sesamo + Cavolini di Bruxelle

Udon Noodles, Sesame-Fried Turkey + Shredded Brussels Sprouts

Do they have Brussels sprouts in China? Maybe. Do they have Japanese Udon noodles? Possibly. Would they combine them and make a dish like this? Probably not! Ha! But you know what? I am neither in Brussels, Beijing nor Japan- and I made this for my supper this evening- so there!

Well, what's a guy to do when he lives on his own and buys a bag of Brussels sprouts already? I had some yesterday evening... I had some this evening... and I still have some left, so I shall be having them again at some point this week! But as I actually love Brussels sprouts- who's complaining? :-)

Bok choi, Chinese leaves... Brussels sprouts or any other kind of mild greens- what's the difference? Non really! All are delicious and all go well with Asian-styled noodle dishes. It is the sweetness they bring that makes them so wonderful, balancing out the spiciness and bringing everything together- especially in this dish. 

I made it by finely chopping the sprouts and boiling them together with the noodles- the soft, thick, Udon noodles only take 4-5 minutes to cook, which is just the right time to blanche the Brussels sprouts and leave them with just a hint of bite and plenty of character.

In the meantime, I fried the very thinly sliced turkey breast with some grated ginger and crushed garlic in a little sesame oil. As soon as it began to brown, I added some thinly sliced red peppers and seasoned with a dash of oyster sauce, lime juice, sweet chili sauce and a little 5-spice powder. 

As soon as the noodles were done, I drained them off, but added a splash of the hot water to my frying pan to deglaze it and to render down to a thin sauce. I then added a squeeze of honey and turned off the heat.

By the time I had dished up the noodles, the honey had become a golden glaze over everything and was just screaming to be sprinkled with sesame seeds... so how could I resist? You're right... I couldn't! What a simple but yummy combination! I'm sure if you try it you will agree!