Chicken Chow Mein
(from kylerhea’s recipe box)
-This is a classic takeaway dish and a classic Chinese snack – Chow mein in Mandarin Chinese is pronounced ‘Chao meean and it means ’stir-noodle’, i.e. stir-fried noodle.
I love this simple dish with plenty of fresh crunchy vegetables and the usual Chinese condiments of light soy sauce and toasted sesame oil – but the trick to getting a good-quality chow mein is in the quality of the noodle used. I use shi wheat flour noodles – ‘shi’ means ‘thin’ and whether yellow shi or white – they are easy to cook, 3 minutes in boiling water. Then all the ingredients go into a wok – couldn’t be easier or healthier!
Source: CC - Chinese Food Made Easy
Categories: Chinese, Dinner, October2010
Ingredients
- 5 ounces dried yellow Shi wheat flour noodles* or medium egg noodles
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil, plus more as needed
- 11 ounces skinless chicken breasts, sliced into strips
- Dash dark soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon five-spice powder
- 1 teaspoon chile sauce, optional
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons groundnut oil (peanut)
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and finely sliced
- 5 ounces bean sprouts
- 1 large spring onion (green), sliced lengthwise
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
- Freshly ground black pepper, finely ground
- *Can be found at specialty Asian markets.
Directions
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Cook the noodles for 3 minutes in a pan of boiling water until al dente, or as per the package instructions. Drain, then run them under cold running water, and drain again. Drizzle with a few splashes of sesame oil, and toss through to prevent them from sticking.
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Season the chicken with a splash of dark soy sauce, the five-spice powder, and chile sauce, if using. Mix well. Coat the chicken breasts lightly with the cornstarch.
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Heat a wok over a high heat, add the groundnut or peanut oil, and heat until smoking. Then, add the chicken, and stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes, or until cooked through.
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Add the red bell pepper, and stir-fry for 1 minute, then add the bean sprouts and green onion and stir-fry for less than 1 minute. Add the cooked noodles, and season with the light soy sauce, 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil, and black pepper, to taste. Stir well and serve immediately.