Soft, chewy noodles without all the gadgets, tossed in a salty, umami sauce, these garlic oyster sauce scissor-cut noodles are perfect for a quick, easy meal that packs a flavour punch.
Making your own noodles can be a daunting concept, especially if you're a beginner, but these scissor-cut noodles could not be easier. The dough is made with three simple ingredients and using a pair of kitchen scissors, all you need to do is snip pieces of dough directly into boiling water to cook. Pair your homemade noodles with any kind of sauce, or if you're looking for inspiration, try my garlic oyster sauce.
Where did these noodles come from?
Scissor-cut noodles, particularly in the Chinese style (dao xiao mian), are closely related to knife-shaved noodles, which originated in Shanxi province in northern China. While dao xiao mian is traditionally cut from a block of dough using a special knife, some regional variations involve cutting the dough directly with scissors, especially in home-style cooking and street food settings. Scissor-cut noodles are popular in home kitchens because they don’t require specialised tools.
Sauces and uses
As a result of the technique, scissor-cut noodles tend to be thick and irregular in shape. This makes them extra chewy and great at soaking up broth or sauce. Often seen in bold soups or stir fry, but equally as delicious coated in a rich sauce. My garlic oyster sauce is the perfect pairing, combining the salty, umami flavours of oyster sauce with the bouncy noodles.
A sauce gone rogue
While garlic, spring onions, oyster sauce and soy sauce are all ingredients you'd expect to see in a Chinese-style dish, I can't go past adding a little grated parmesan for added richness. It may feel a little rogue (...or wrong), but I guarantee the flavours meld well and the cheese dissolves into the sauce nicely. If you'd prefer to leave it out though, you are more than welcome.
Ingredients
- All purpose flour
- Salt
- Water
- Unsalted butter
- Garlic
- Spring onion
- Oyster sauce
- Soy sauce
- Parmigiano Reggiano
See recipe card below for quantities.
Tips and Variations
- If you'd prefer a more formed noodle shape, you can use the same dough to make knife-cut noodles
- These noodles pair well with non-traditional sauces like roasted capsicum or gochujang rosé sauces.
Equipment
- Bowl
- Chopsticks
- Fry pan
- Spatula
- Bowl
Watch the video here. If you make this one, don't forget to tag me on TikTok or Instagram. I love to see it!
Ingredients
Scissor-cut noodles
- 200 g all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 100 mL tepid water
Garlic oyster sauce
- 40 g butter
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 spring onions finely sliced
- 40 g oyster sauce
- 10 mL light soy sauce
- 1 portion scissor-cut noodles as above
- ⅓ cup Parmigiano reggiano finely grated (optional)
Instructions
Scissor-cut noodles
- In a bowl, add flour, salt and water. Stir with a pair of chopsticks until large lumps form.
- Turn out on to a bench top and begin kneading, picking up any dry bits of flour as your go. Knead for 10 minutes until dough becomes smooth.
- Wrap in plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes before using.
- Bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil. Once rapidly boiling, hold ball of dough in one hand and a pair of sharp kitchen scissors in the other. Snip small pieces of dough directly into the boiling water - they will take on an oblong shape naturally.
- Once you've cut all of the dough into the water, allow to boil for another couple of minutes before draining. Reserve a third of a cup of the pasta water.
Garlic oyster sauce
- Heat a fry pan over medium heat. Add butter and melt until it begins to bubble.
- Add garlic and the white part of the spring onions and sauté for a minute until fragrant.
- Add half of the reserved pasta water, followed by oyster and soy sauces. Stir well to distribute the sauces evenly.
- Add cooked noodles and toss lightly. Grate over cheese if using, and pour over remaining pasta water. Stir everything well to emulsify.
- Divide among two bowls. Drizzle over chilli crisp and sprinkle on spring onion greens and roasted sesame seeds to serve.
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