Chinese Five Spice Noodles with Beef

In the east noodles are always served with the assumption that the final taste is to be determined by the eater. And because of this the condiments served alongside this type of dish are much more varied than us western folk are accustomed to. Even in the simplest of eateries there are baskets on every table bursting with herbs, fish sauce, soy sauce, chilli sauce, fresh lime segments, sugar and chillies; so that you, the patron, can ultimately tailor your selected sustenance to your own personal taste. So with that in mind, I think this recipe is perfect, but that of course is just me. If you want some heat, punch it with some chilli, more sour for you..then up the Lime, etc etc. To quote Lloyd.. and now David, it's over to you.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon groundnut oil
1 large clove of garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of freshly grated ginger
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon of Chinese five spice powder
Leftover rare roast beef, about 100g per person, shredded
250g of Beef stock
2 nests of noodles
1 red pepper, sliced
4 spring onions, finely sliced
Juice of half a lime and use the other quarters as garnish
A handful of Coriander leaves, roughly chopped
Some snippets of cress
A sprinkling of black sesame seeds
Method
Heat the oil in a pan over a medium heat, add the garlic, salt, soy sauce, ginger, sugar and five spice, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Allow to bubble gently for a couple of minutes. Add in the stock, and lime juice, stir and bring back to the boil.
Meanwhile cook (or soak) your noodles according to the pack instructions and drain.
Now it's just a matter of assembly. Divide your noodles into 2 bowls. Gently slosh half the five spice liquid over each. Chuck on some beef, pepper, onions, coriander, cress and seeds and garnish with a lime wedge. Consume.

Prep time 5 mins. Cooking time 7 mins. Feeds 2.