Chicken Chow Mein

Today I’m making chow mein, which is basically just stir fried flat or round noodles depending on where you are.  Here in California they are of the round verity and tend to be drier then in some other places I’ve had them. Simply prepared with a choice of meat, onions, celery sometimes cabbage, sometimes sprouts and/or chestnuts finished with a little soy based sauce. As for my personal experience, in the one and only Chinese restaurant I ever worked in which was back in Europe the dish often times came with mushrooms and was finished in it a thick’ish sauce that just coated it, sometimes referred to as Hong Kong style.

As for today’s chow mein along with the cabbage, celery and onions I am also adding garlic, carrots and scallions. The sauce I am finishing it with, which will just coat it will also have about 1 tsp sherry which is optional, it’s a quick sauce really just bring it to a boil allowing the seasoning to come together and thicken it at the same time. But you most be mindful of it and stir it well to prevent lumps from forming and to thicken evenly

A quick note on Asian noodles which have a long history in China, it’s said Marko Polo brought back pasta after having been first introduced to it when he traveled to the Orient in the 12^th century, though there is an argument to be had that they already had something like it back in Europe at the time.  Nevertheless Asian noodle very from places to place examples include a whole host of wheat flour noodles common to China and Japan to rice noodle common in Thailand and Vietnam.

Shopping List

Chow mein noodles or Asian egg noodles such as chuka soba, yakisoba

Chicken breast or tenders

Onions

Celery

Cabbage

Sprouts, optional
Carrots, optional 

Garlic

Chili

Soy sauce or mushroom soy sauce

Oyster sauce

Sesame oil

Sherry

Chicken stock or Asian chicken stock 

Corn starch

My Mad Method

Ready to eat!!

Blanch Asian noodles in unsalted water for 2 or 3 minutes according to instructions

Drain the noodles well

Meanwhile heat 1 TBSP peanut or canola oil in a wok or frying pan until just smoking, add 400g chicken coated in a little sesame oil, salt and pepper

Brown chicken, add 3 to 4 dl chicken stock, cook the chicken until done, set chicken aside, reserve remaining stock in separate dish, wipe out pan

Add 3 garlic cloves minced, sauté until fragrant about 30 seconds to a minute

Add 1 half onion diced and 2 stalks celery sliced toss with the garlic and sauté until translucent about 4 minutes   

Add a hand full cabbage shredded and sprouts along with a half a carrot julienned, continue cooking until cabbage has browned and wilted 

Sauce: 2dl chicken stock, 1 tsp ginger  minced (optional), 2 small garlic cloves minced, 1 TBSP each oyster sauce & mushroom soy sauce, 1 TBSP corn starch and a few drops of sesame oil boil until thickened

Toss the drained noodles in a little oil and sauté until lightly browned and warmed through   

Return the prepared chicken, vegetables and sauce back to the wok or sauté pan toss and heat through

Ready to serve!!

2 additional chow mein dishes I have made each in very different ways…