These Spicy Dan Dan Noodles Are the Ultimate Comfort Food

We've all had days that can only be eased by sugary/salty/deep-fried/caramel-glazed/all of the above food. Maybe a family-size bag of chips on the bus home after a particularly dark work appraisal or the whole cherry trifle you ate because it was raining and your housemates were out and you decided to watch a weepy Anne Hathaway rom-com. Alone.

But sometimes, you need comfort food with a little more finesse. Let's not forget that your culinary abilities extend beyond opening packets of stuff, even when you've spent all day dealing with the boss-from-hell/are gripped by an all-consuming fear of dying alone.

Step forward, dan dan noodles.

Named after the over-the-shoulder carrying poles used by street vendors in China, this Chinese dish has the perfect balance of noodles and pork on one side, and sauce on the other. It'll sate your rich food cravings and present a kitchen challenge that transcends the average college student's culinary repertoire.

This particular dan dan noodles recipe comes courtesy of badass London picklemaker Freddie Janssen, who describes it "an AZN version of spag bol, essentially Asian noodles with meat ragu."

After experimenting with different dan dan noodle dishes for her pickling cookbook, Freddie found that this one came out on top. You'll have to pickle your own mustard greens but they can be kept in the fridge for two weeks and when stir-fried with Szechuan chili oil and pork, give the dish the crunchy counterpoint it needs.

Even if we do lose our jobs and die alone, we'll always have noodles.