Lotus
Xu Gu
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La Belle Cuisine

Serves 3 to 4, or up to 6 sharing several dishes

4 bundles (7 ounces) fine Chinese noodles
2 dried black mushrooms, soaked for 30 minutes
2 ribs of celery
12 small lettuce leaves, finely shredded
3 scallions
3 ounces lean pork, preferably tenderloin
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil
1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil

Sesame Sauce:
2 tablespoons tahini (sesame paste)
1 1/2 teaspoons soft, fresh shrimp paste*
1 teaspoon Chinese rice wine or
dry Sherry
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
5 teaspoons cornstarch
Salt and white pepper

Bring 1 1/2 quarts water to a boil. Add the noodles and bring back to a
boil, add 1.2 cup of cold water, and bring the water back to a boil again.
Stir to untangle the bundles, add another 1/2 cup of cold water, and return
to a boil. Reduce heat and cook noodles until tender but not soft, about
three minutes. Drain and set aside.
Drain the mushrooms, trim the stems, and shred the caps fine. Trim the celery and scallions and cut into fin julienne strips. Combine the sauce ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir over medium
heat for 2 minutes, until thickened, and keep warm.
Slice the pork thin, stack the slices together, and cut into fine shreds.
Heat the oils in a wok over high heat until the pan is smoking. Stir-fry
the pork for 1 1/2 minutes, then push to the side of the pan and add the
mushrooms, celery, and scallions. Stir-fry for 1 minute. Pour on the
sauce and stir in, cooking briefly. Remove from the heat.
Immerse the noodles in boiling water to reheat; drain well. Divide
noodles among bowls. Add the shredded lettuce, and spoon the pork
and vegetable sauce evenly over the noodles. Serve at once.