Chicken chow mein is probably one of the most frequently ordered dishes from a UK Chinese takeaway. But, as we all know, the dish can vary in flavour depending on where you buy it. This is down to a few things: how much oil is used, how much seasoning is added, and which type of noodle. Why not guarantee its taste by cooking it yourself at home? My favourite mein to use is a fresh, light egg noodle; it holds its consistency much longer and, because it’s not dried, it doesn’t soak up the oil, making it a much healthier dish when cooked at home. I’ve cooked this with both chicken and bacon, as they complement each other well, but as with all the recipes in the book, you can use whatever you have available.
Servings 2
Equipment
- wok
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp rice bran oil or vegetable oil
- 2 rashers of rindless unsmoked back bacon fat removed, sliced into 1cm strips
- 150 g skinless chicken breast sliced into 1cm strips
- 1 leek trimmed, washed and chopped into 1cm rounds
- 2 cloves of garlic peeled and finely chopped
- 50 g frozen peas
- 250 g ready-to-wok egg noodles or rehydrate the dry variety
- 150 g bean sprouts
- 2 tbsp shaosing or dry sherry
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 2 tbsp pine nuts
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a wok over a medium to high heat. When hot, add the strips of bacon and stir-fry for 1 minute before increasing the heat as high as it will go and adding the chicken. Stir-fry for 2 minutes, by which time the meat should have started to colour and be almost cooked through.
- Reduce the heat a little, add the leek and garlic and stir-fry for 1 minute. Tip in the frozen peas and continue to stir-fry for a further 2 minutes.
- Add the noodles and bean sprouts and toss together. Pour in the shaosing and let it bubble up and almost totally evaporate before adding the soy sauce. Mix well, then scatter over the pine nuts. Leave to cool and then pack into a lunch box to eat tomorrow. Keep it in the fridge overnight.
Notes
Original recipe found in Goks Wok