Asian egg noodles

This recipe uses the weight of the eggs in their shells to determine the amount of flour required (double the weight of the eggs) and half a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda to every egg used.  You can work out how much noodle you will make by first weighing your eggs, then adding to that weight double the amount of flour.

Season:  All year

Type:  Pasta

Difficulty:  Intermediate

Serves:  6 at home or 30 tastes in the classroom

Fresh from the garden:  eggs

Recipe source: Adapted from a recipe by Lee Geok Boi in Classic Asian Noodles

• scales
• sieve
• 1 large bowl
• metric measuring spoons
• pasta machine
• tea towels

• 1 teaspoon bi-carb soda
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• plain flour (double the weight of the eggs in their shell)
• 2 eggs in their shells
• 1 tablespoon water
• cornflour, for dusting

• Set out your equipment and ingredients.
• Weigh the eggs to determine how much flour to use.
• Sift the bi-carb, salt and flour into a large bowl.
• Break the eggs into the flour, add 1 tablespoon of water and knead until the dough is smooth.
• Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let the dough rest for 20 minutes.  This will make the dough much easier to work with.  It is a dry and fragile dough until the noodles are formed.

To make the noodles

• Clear a large space on the workbench alongside the pasta machine.  Make sure all surfaces are clean and dry.
• Dust some flour onto the table beside the machine.   Set the rollers on the pasta machine to the widest setting (number 0).
• Cut the dough into 4 pieces (keep the pieces you are not working with wrapped in the plastic wrap to prevent them drying out while you roll the other pieces).
• Flatten the piece of dough and lightly dust with flour.  Squash one end of the dough so that it will fit into the pasta machine.
• Pass the dough carefully through the rollers, squashed end first and carefully lift out the other end.
• Lay the pasta onto the floured table, lightly dust with flour and fold it in 3.  Hint: place your hand in the middle of the pasta and fold one end over your hand.  Slide your hand out and fold the other end over the top to form 3 even-sized layers.
• Feed through the machine again with the rough edge down and the smooth edges at the side.
• If the dough starts to get sticky dust a little flour over the pasta strip.
• Repeat this rolling and folding another 5 times, but the last time you feed the dough through the rollers do not fold it in 3.  Now set the pasta machine the next-thinnest setting (1) and pass the dough through once.  Set the machine to the next-thinnest setting (2) and pass the dough through once.
• Continue in this manner (changing the settings and passing the dough through) until the dough has passed through the second-thinnest setting.
• If the dough gets too long to handle comfortably, cut it into 2 – 3 pieces using the large knife, and roll each piece separately.

Cut the noodles

• To make the noodles, pass the dough strip through the thin cutter of the pasta machine.  Dust the trays with some flour, lay the strands of noodles in a single layer on the trays and allow to dry while you cut the remaining noodles.
• Clean the pasta machine by brushing it with a dry, wide pastry brush.  Never wash the machine.

Cook the noodles (an adult should do this for you)

• Fill the saucepan with water and bring to the boil.
• Drop in the noodles.  Cook for 4 – 5 minutes (taste to check if it is al dente).
• Set the colander in the sink.  Tip the noodles and boiling water into the colander.