BLUE NOODLES INSPIRED BY ANDOR

For the Babish Blue Noodles

Combine the butterfly tea flowers and the boiling water in a small bowl. Allow the mixture to steep for 10 minutes. Strain the mixturing, reserving only the steeped water. Allow the steeped liquid to cool to room temperature.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

Meanwhile, combine potato starch and cool water in a medium bowl. Whisk to combine.

Reheat the steeped water to a boil over the stovetop or using a microwave. Carefully, pour the boiling water into the bowl and whisk until the mixture thickens, 30 seconds - 1 minute.

Add the remaining potato starch to the bowl, fold/knead to combine until a dough forms. Then add the cooled (steeped) water and stir to combine using a whisk until a thick paste forms. If the final mixture is too loose (not thick enough to be piped) add more potato starch; if the mixture is too thick (too thick to be easily piped or dry) add more steeped water.

Once at the correct consistency, transfer the mixturing to a large ziplock bag or piping bag. Cut the tip off of the bag of choice, leaving a small hole about ⅙ - ¼ inch wide.

Prepare a large bowl of cold water and place it next to the pot of boiling water. This will be used to rinse the cooked noodles.

Reduce the heat on the pot of water to a bare simmer. Then, pipe 8 - 10 inch noodles in a circular motion into the simmering water. Make sure not to overcrowd the pot with too much noodle mixture. Allow the noodles to cook for 30 seconds or until they float to the surface of the water.

Using a slotted spoon or spider, transfer the cooked noodles to the cold water bath and repeat with the remaining batter.

Strain the noodles and reserve until ready to use.

For the Blue Noodle Stir Fry

In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sugar, and sesame oil. Whisk to combine and reserve.

Roughly cut the noodles into more manageable pieces (4-6 inches) using kitchen shears. Transfer the noodles to a medium bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons of the reserved sauce.

In a large high-sided skillet, preheat 1 tablespoon of neutral oil over medium high heat. Add the onions and cook until tender and just beginning to caramelize, about 3-5 minutes. Transfer the cooked onions to a large metal bowl.

In the same skillet, heat another tablespoon of neutral oil. Add the mushrooms and season with kosher salt. Cook until the mushrooms have turned light brown and have released all of their moisture, about 3-5 minutes. Transfer the cooked mushrooms to the bowl with the onions.

Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the skillet and allow it to preheat. Add the noodles and cook, while stirring, until slightly sticky, 2-3 minutes. Transfer the noodles to the large metal bowl.

Add the remaining sauce and sesame seeds to the bowl and toss to combine everything. Season the noodles to taste with more salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Optionally, garnish with scallion greens.