Ants Climbing a Tree (Sichuan Spicy Stir-Fried Vermicelli with Beef and Mushrooms)

Before I cooked this dish, I didn't have much of an inkling as to how to handle Sichuan or Szechuan cuisine in my kitchen. Previous experiences of eating delicious Sichuan in chinese restaurants, with their lavish presentations complete with intricate, edible carvings have spoiled me, I think. And made me break out in a sweat when I found out this month's International Incident Party theme was Sichuan. How on earth was I going to reproduce those masterpieces that I only knew how to eat (usually on corporate expense)?  

A few weeks and tons of research later, I found out that not all Sichuan dishes were spicy, nor were they all arduous to prepare. Like this stir-fried glass noodle dish, for example. Okay, it did say 'Spicy' in the title because the recipe contained chillies and ginger. When I cooked it though, it really wasn't too spicy at all, quite manageable by my (delicate) standards. It took me less than 30 minutes to prepare and fry up. That's a good thing when, if you're like me, you have a whole army of in-house relatives to feed! Not to mention parents and friends who like to drop by unannounced (ahem, this isn't a hint, by the way).

Three guesses for why I chose to make this when there are a couple of thousand other Sichuan dishes I could try out. How about that name - Ants Climbing a Tree? Other names for this authentic Sichuan dish include Ants Climbing a Hill, Ants Climbing a Log, and Ants Creeping up a Tree. My fun-loving side just couldn't resist!

The cooked dish really did look like it was dotted with 'ants', mimicked by the browned ground beef. I didn't exactly manage to recreate a 'tree' on my plate, so the ants had to climb a little hill of noodles. Oh wait, there were some green onion 'trees' perched on top of the hill, maybe this dish could be called Ants Creeping up a Tree on a Hill instead.

I even managed a shot of an ant scurrying curiously near my plate of noodles, probably enticed by the wonderful aroma.

Upon closer inspection, the ant seemed to be dancing. 

The dish must've passed by his Sichuan standards :-)

Penny of Jeroxie blog is as always, our lovely virtual host for the IIP. Thank you again for your efforts and generosity of spirit, Penny. This post and song (below) is for you and in memory of your father.

For a long time, I used to think Sarah McLachlan sang this song so perfectly on her own. But then she threw in Josh Groban and since then, I have always liked this version the best. I hope you like it too :-).

Ants Climbing a Tree (Sichuan Spicy Stir-Fried Vermicelli with Beef and Mushrooms)
Serves: 2
Ingredients:
114g (4 oz) vermicelli or glass noodles
5 Shiitake mushrooms, sliced thinly.
225g (1/2 lb) ground beef

Marinade:
1 tablespoon light soy sauce or Kikkoman
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Pinch of cornstarch

Other:
1 small red chilli pepper and 1 teaspoon chili sauce, or 1 tablespoon chili sauce
2 slices ginger
2 green onions
1/4 cup chicken or vegetable broth

Method:

1. Without removing the string wrapping around the transparent noodles, soak in hot water until they are pliable (about 5 minutes). Drain well. Cut the noodles into shorter lengths and then remove the string wrapping.

2. Add the marinade ingredients to the ground beef, adding the cornstarch last. Marinate the beef for 15 minutes.

3. If using the chilli pepper, cut in half lengthwise, remove the seeds, and chop coarsely. Finely chop the ginger. Cut the green onion on the diagonal into 1-inch pieces. Heat the wok over medium-high to high heat.

4. Add 2 tablespoons oil to the heated wok. Add the marinated beef. Stir-fry until the beef has changed color and is nearly cooked through. Remove from the wok. Clean out the wok.

5. Add 1 tablespoon oil to the wok. Add the chili pepper and ginger. Stir-fry briefly until aromatic. Add the sliced mushrooms. Stir-fry briefly, then stir in the chilli sauce and the noodles. Add the reserved chicken or vegetable broth in the middle of the wok. Return the ground beef to the pan and stir in the green onion. Mix everything together and cook briefly. Make sure the beef is cooked through before serving.