Parboiled Noodles

Photo: flickr user avlxyz

Ingredients

8 -(up to)

1 cup Water

teaspoon Salt

1 pound Noodles

Peanut or sesame oil

Preparation

Bring water to a rolling boil. Add salt; then gradually add noodles to keep the water boiling vigorously.

Stir noodles from the bottom from time to time and cook until barely done. (Noodles should never be cooked until mushy: the outside should be tender while the inside is still firm and hard. Test for doneness by cutting or biting into a single strand.)

Drain noodles in a colander. Rinse at once under cold running water.

(Unless this is done, the noodles will continue cooking in their own heat.

Rinsing also keeps the noodles from sticking together because it washes off the excess starch. However, noodles, unlike rice, are never washed before cooking to remove the starch, but after.) Drain again.

Separate the noodles with a fork. Spread them loosely on a flat plate or tray and mix well with a little peanut or sesame oil. Set aside until needed or keep warm in the top of a double boiler. The noodles can also be reheated by rinsing them in hot water, after they've been rinsed in cold.

Use in any noodle recipe.

NOTE: The cooking time depends on the noodles themselves-whether they're egg or wheat-flour, whether they're dried or fresh; whether they're thick or thin. It also depends on how much additional cooking they will get with other ingredients. As a rule, allow 6 to 8 minutes for dried noodles; 4 to 5 minutes for fresh.