Sanzi (fried dough threads)

Step 1: Dissolve 1 tsp salt and 1 tbsp sugar in 1 cup warm water. Mix with 1 ⅛ lb plain flour and 1 tbsp black sesame seeds into a soft dough and knead for 8 minutes, until smooth.

Step 2: Cover and rest for 20 minutes, then knead again briefly; the dough should feel silky and elastic.

Step 3: Roll the dough into a 2 cm thick sheet and cut into 1.5 cm wide strips. Roll each strip under your palms into a rope about 1 cm thick.

Step 4: Coil the ropes in a deep dish, pouring ½ cup neutral oil over each layer so every part is coated. Cover and rest for 30 minutes; the ropes must go soft and slack.

Step 5: Heat 6 ¼ cups oil for deep-frying in a wok or deep pan to 350°F; a chopstick dipped in should fizz steadily with small bubbles. Keep a lid and a tray lined with kitchen paper nearby, and never leave the hot oil.

Step 6: Take one end of a rope and wind it loosely around the spread fingers of both hands 10–12 times, pulling gently as you go so the strand thins to about 3 mm. Pinch the two ends together.

Step 7: Slip the loops onto two long chopsticks and pull them apart so the coil is taut. Common mistake: stretching dough that has not rested enough; it snaps and the strands come out uneven, half raw and half burnt.

Step 8: Lower the coil into the oil and hold it stretched for 30 seconds until it sets, then twist the chopsticks to fold it in half and fry for 1–2 minutes more, until evenly golden, crisp and no longer bubbling hard.

Step 9: Lift out, drain upright on the paper and repeat with the rest, letting the oil come back to 350°F between coils.

Step 10: Cool completely, until they snap cleanly. Store airtight at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.