Sunday, February 4, 2018

Chicken Chow Mein

Living in Taiwan, we were bound to acquire a few Asian recipes—which we were happy to do, of course! Chicken chow mein is a more recent favorite in our house. We make it in large batches, because second helpings are an obvious necessity.


Chow mein originated in Northern China, and is commonly found in Chinese restaurants in America. "Chow mein" means stir-fried noodles, and it's just that: noodles stir-fried in a wok (or frying pan, if you don't have a wok—which you totally should!), made delicious with chicken, veggies, and flavorings.


Chicken chow mein is, of course, best eaten with chop sticks. I'm just not sure there's any other way to do it. If you don't know how to use chopsticks, now is a fantastic time to learn! It's really a very useful skill—I mean, what if you find yourself in the middle of Asia, with not a fork in sight? Not speaking from experience or anything...
But remember, when using chopsticks, never leave them sticking straight up out of your food! It's bad luck. I wouldn't want anything to happen to you ;)


If you need to clean out your vegetable drawer, here's your chance. Chow mein is a very versatile dish. Switch out the chicken for pork, beef, or fried tofu, or try it with some of these other vegetables:

-Bamboo shoots
-Bok choy
-Carrots
-Broccoli
-Snap peas
-Cabbage
-Scallions
-Mushrooms

I love having a variety of vegetables! My plate is always a mountain of chicken and veggies, with just a little bed of noodles. I hope you enjoy this as much as my family does!


Chicken Chow Mein
Serves: 2

Ingredients:
Chicken & Vegetables:
300g (11oz) skinless chicken breast fillets, sliced into strips
1 red pepper, sliced
150g (5oz) bean sprouts
1 large spring onion, sliced lengthways

Noodles:
150g (5oz) dried yellow shi wheat flour noodles, or medium egg noodles*
dash toasted sesame oil

Marinade:
dash dark soy sauce
1 tsp. five-spice powder
1 tsp. chili sauce (optional)
1 Tbs. cornflour

Seasoning:
1-2 Tbs. peanut, sunflower, or vegetable oil
2 Tbs. light soy sauce
freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
1. Slice chicken and vegetables.
2. Marinade chicken: Coat chicken with dark soy sauce, five-spice powder, and chili sauce, if using.
3. Boil noodles until al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop further cooking. Toss with sesame oil to prevent sticking.
4. Mix cornstarch into the chicken to seal in the juices.
5. Swirl groundnut, sunflower, or vegetable oil around a wok (or frying pan) to coat sides of pan. Heat oil.
6. When oil is hot, add chicken. Cook until cooked through, about 3-4 minutes.
7. Add hardier vegetables first, cooking for one minute. Mix in more delicate vegetables (spring onions, bean sprouts). Stir in noodles.
8. Mix in light soy sauce, sesame oil, and pepper.

*You're looking for noodles that are yellow and curvy. These noodles go by a few different names; you might see them as Egg Noodles, Ramen, or Canton Noodles, among others. Fresh or dried are both fine. Spaghetti will also work in a pinch.

Recipe from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BxiR7gDDNU&feature=youtu.be

No comments:

Post a Comment