The baby’s in bed. I’m on the sofa with either my book or blog open. The boyfriend is in the kitchen, cooking up his signature dish – though he’s embarrassed to call it so. I know I have 45 minutes to an hour in which to absorb myself in words; someone else’s or my own, depending on my mood.

Before any other sense, my nose clocks the arrival of two white, shallow china bowls, piled with a powerhouse of asian flavours. On the table lies a tangle of sweet and sharp, sticky noodles, topped with strips of juicy, crispy, breaded chicken, a glistening, golden egg, vinegar-slick cucumber chunks, and charred cabbage flecked with caraway seeds.

More than any other, this is the food we call love.

What started as “pimped-up noodles” when we were first dating has evolved into the ultimate romantic comfort food. My boyfriend always cooks it. Occasionally, I help – I finely chop, make accompaniments – and while this is his dish, together, we’ve honed it.

Below, you’ll find the rough recipe. (The lack of measurements is intentional because it isn’t my dish. I could guess, but you might have more fun creating the noodles your way.) But please note: this dish is so much more than a recipe. “Part of its flavour is the love that goes into it,” my boyfriend tells me. “Spoon the soup onto the veg the same way you would lovingly baste a steak with butter.”

Ingredients

For the noodles

• Packet of Asian noodles. We use Nissin Soba chilli noodles
• Button mushrooms – finely chopped
• Red pepper – finely chopped
• Shallots – finely chopped
• A clove or two of garlic – crushed
• Soy sauce – splash
• Chinese 5 spice – sprinkle 
• Paprika – pinch
• Ground cumin – pinch
• Black pepper – to your preference
• Breaded chicken you fling in the oven. We use M&S katsu or hot honey chicken

For the cucumber

• Cucumber – chopped into chunks
• Lime juice
• White wine vinegar – a few glugs
• Brown sugar – sprinkle

For the cabbage

• Cabbage – sliced
• Carraway seeds – sprinkle
• Butter

To serve

• Fried egg each
• Drizzle of sriracha and mayo

Method

Noodles

1. Cook chicken in oven
2. Fry shallots, pepper, mushrooms and garlic in olive oil and butter
3. Cook noodles as per instructions. Don’t drain. Add glug of water so it becomes soupy
4. Add packet sauces and herbs to the noodles, as per instructions
5. Add soy sauce, spices and the cooked veggies to the noodles

Cucumber

1. In a separate bowl, mix the cucumber dressing ingredients
2. Add the roughly chopped cucumber. Set aside

Cabbage

1. Melt butter in small saucepan
2. Add shredded cabbage, cook for 5-7 mins
3. Sprinkle with caraway seeds
4. Mix and cook for a few mins

Assemble and enjoy

1. When cooked, remove the chicken from the oven and cut into strips
2. Fry egg(s)
3. In your bowl, pile the veggie noodles
4. Add the chicken strips on top, then the fried egg
5. Drizzle with mayo and sriracha
6. Serve alongside cabbage and pickled cucumber
7. Devour
8. Hope there’s leftovers for tomorrow. Acknowledge it’s unlikely.

Photo by Anastasia Shuraeva on Pexels