Chow Mein

Name: Chow Mein
Prep time: 25 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons soy sauce; 5 teaspoons cornstarch; 3 tablespoons Shaoxing rice wine; 1 tablespoon sugar; 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth; 8 ounces boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1/2-inch pieces; Kosher salt; 1/2 cup vegetable oil; 6 ounces Hong Kong chow mein noodles; 6 fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and caps cut into 1/4-inch strips (or dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked and cut into 1/4-inch strips); 3/4 cup julienned carrot; 1 cup chopped Chinese broccoli; 3 tablespoons julienned peeled ginger (from a 3-inch piece); 2 large cloves garlic, minced (4 teaspoons); 1 cup mung bean sprouts; 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Recipe photo courtesy of Martyna Szczesna

This Chinese-American restaurant staple pairs crispy fried noodles with chicken and vegetables stir-fried in a thick brown sauce.

25 mins 25 mins 4

Total Time Prep Servings

Ingredients

Directions

1. Whisk 3 tablespoons soy sauce into cornstarch in a small bowl. Whisk in 2 tablespoons wine, sugar, and broth. Season chicken with salt and remaining 2 teaspoons soy sauce and 1 tablespoon wine.
2. Heat a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high and add 1/4 cup oil; heat until shimmering. Add noodles and flatten to an even layer. Reduce heat to medium and cook 1 minute. Add 1/3 cup water and cook, pushing edges in with a spatula to shape into a more compact disc, until golden brown and the entire thing holds together like a mat, 4 to 5 minutes more. Carefully slide a spatula underneath and flip over. Drizzle 2 tablespoons oil around edges of pan. Cook until crisp on the second side, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer to serving plate.
3. Return pan to medium high-heat, add chicken, and cook until golden brown on one side, 1 to 2 minutes. Toss and cook until almost cooked through, about 1 minute more. Remove from pan. To the pan, add 2 tablespoons oil and mushrooms and cook until tender, about 2 minutes. Add carrots and Chinese broccoli. Toss 1 minute. Add ginger and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir sauce to recombine, then add to pan and bring to a boil. Add chicken and toss to combine. Stir in sprouts and sesame oil. Serve over crispy noodles.

Cook's Notes

Hong Kong chow mein noodles are sold in the refrigerated case at Asian markets. They are "precooked" and therefore do not need to be boiled ahead of time.