The best type of dish: the kind that’s actually somewhat healthy, but doesn’t taste like it. Only briefly tossed in the wok, all ingredients remain fresh and juicy while getting coated in a light, but savory sauce.
How about you chow down on mine?
The Chef
This recipe works best in a round-bottom wok over an open flame, but you can use a large pan or flat-bottom wok on a stovetop if that’s all you have available. Either way, it is imperative that you get all ingredients ready in their bowls ahead of time.
It’s best to make no more than two servings at a time so the wok doesn’t get overcrowded. If making more, you need to increase cooking times accordingly, or better yet, do it in batches. I made four servings at once (over an open flame) at one point, and it turned out alright, but it took a little longer. I added no water that time because the cabbage gave off plenty of moisture.
Chow Mein
Ingredients
Sauce
- 4 tsp corn starch
- 3 tbsp soy sauce light
- 3 tbsp oyster sauce
- 3 tbsp Shaoxing wine
- 4 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp sesame oil toasted
- 0.5 tsp white pepper ground
Stir-fry
- 250 g Chinese egg noodles dry weight
- 400 g chicken breast
- 1 small head napa cabbage ~8 cups when chopped
- 2 carrots
- 4 cloves garlic
- 200 g mung bean sprouts fresh
- 6 stalks scallions
- 3 tbsp neutral oil
- 100 ml water
Instructions
Prep sauce, chicken and noodles
- In a small bowl, stir the cornstarch into the soy sauce until fully dissolved.
- Mix in the rest of the sauce ingredients and set aside.
- Slice the chicken into thin strips and place in a medium bowl.
- Mix 2 tbsp of the sauce into the chicken. Set aside while preparing the rest, for at least 10 minutes.
- Prepare the noodles according to package instructions, ideally shorter to undercook them a little.
Prepare the veggies
- Get some bowls ready so you can store and quickly toss the prepared vegetables into the wok later. You'll need one large bowl for the carrots, cabbage, and white parts of scallions; a medium one for the bean sprouts and green parts of the scallions; a small one for the garlic.
- Peel and julienne the carrots.
- Wash the cabbage and chop into small bite-sized pieces.
- Separate the white and green parts of the scallions, then cut them all into 5 cm long pieces.
- Finely chop the garlic, and rinse the mung bean sprouts. Set everything aside.
Stir-fry
- If you are making four or more servings, you may want to make them in two batches. It's possible to make it all at once (I did it), but it will overcrowd the wok, and each step will take longer.
- Heat the oil in the wok over high heat for about 1 minute.
- Add garlic and stir-fry for a few seconds until it turns golden. Careful not to burn it!
- Add the chicken and keep stirring until it's no longer pink on the outside (but still raw inside).
- Throw in the bowl of cabbage, carrot, and white scallions parts. Stir-fry until the cabbage has wilted and considerably reduced in volume.
- Add the noodles and sauce, stirring constantly.
- The sauce is supposed to coat everything at this stage. If it starts looking too dry, add as much of the water as desired.
- Stir for another minute or two, then add the bean sprouts and green parts of scallions.
- Toss for around a minute and remove from the heat.
- Distribute to bowls or plates and serve immediately.
