Chow Mein

Serves 1
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Directions

  1. 1Chop about 2 oz of onion into strips.
  2. 2Cut half a red onion into strips.
  3. 3Cut 2 stalks (about 1 oz) of green onion into roughly 1.5-inch long pieces.
  4. 4Slice a stable base on the side of the carrot.
  5. 5Cut the carrot into thin slices, then lay down the slices to cut into thin strips.
  6. 6Cut about 6 oz of green cabbage into long 1/2-inch thick strips.
  7. 7Debone chicken thighs if using bone-in.
  8. 8Even out the overall thickness of the chicken thighs by slicing the thickest parts.
  9. 9Cut the chicken into strips with the grain.
  10. 10Marinate about 12 oz of cut chicken with 1 tbsp of oyster sauce, 3 tsp of cornstarch, and 2 tbsp of water.
  11. 11Add a third tbsp of water and mix well by hand, massaging the chicken.
  12. 12Add 1/4 tsp of white pepper to the chicken and mix it in.
  13. 13Prepare the chow mein sauce by mixing 2 tbsp of oyster sauce, 2 tbsp of light soy sauce, 2 tsp of dark soy sauce, 1 tsp of sugar, and 1 tsp of chicken bouillon powder.
  14. 14Place a steamer rack in a pot and add boiling water.
  15. 15Put the thick fresh noodles into a perforated dish and place it on the steamer rack.
  16. 16Cover the pot with a lid and steam the noodles over high heat for 10-13 minutes once the water is boiling.
  17. 17Remove the steamed noodles from the steamer.
  18. 18Remove the steamer rack from the pot.
  19. 19Put the steamed noodles into the hot water from steaming to cook for about 5 minutes to soften them up.
  20. 20Use chopsticks to separate the noodles so they don’t clump together, adding more water if needed to submerge them.
  21. 21Cook the noodles covered, if needed, to keep the water at a boil for about 5 minutes total until cooked through (no pale dot when pinched).
  22. 22Strain out the boiled noodles and toss them a bit to drain excess water or use chopsticks to turn them for steam release.
  23. 23Add 1 tbsp of oil to the chicken batch and mix.
  24. 24Heat a wok or frying pan on high until it begins to smoke.
  25. 25Add oil to the hot wok and swirl it around to create a non-stick surface.
  26. 26Lower the heat before adding the chicken.
  27. 27Add the chicken (in batches if necessary) and spread it out gently with chopsticks.
  28. 28Let the chicken cook for about 30-40 seconds without flipping.
  29. 29Turn the heat back up to high.
  30. 30Stir-fry and flip the chicken with a spatula for another 40-50 seconds until cooked.
  31. 31Scoop out the cooked chicken and set aside.
  32. 32Add the chopped onions to the wok and stir-fry until aromatic.
  33. 33Add the chopped cabbage to the wok and stir-fry with the onions for about 20-30 seconds.
  34. 34Add the chopped carrots and stir-fry the vegetables for another 30 seconds until aromatic.
  35. 35Turn the heat down to medium and take out the stir-fried vegetables, setting them aside.
  36. 36Add 1 tbsp of oil to the wok.
  37. 37Add the cooked noodles to the wok and spread them out.
  38. 38Set the stove to high heat.
  39. 39Let the bottom of the noodles sear for about a minute until golden-brown, then flip them.
  40. 40Continue stir-frying the noodles for another minute, stirring and flipping constantly, using chopsticks or tongs to separate them.
  41. 41Turn the heat down to low.
  42. 42Gradually pour the prepared chow mein sauce into the noodles.
  43. 43Mix the noodles with chopsticks, ensuring the sauce is distributed evenly.
  44. 44Add the precooked chicken back into the wok with the noodles and sauce.
  45. 45Add the stir-fried vegetables back into the wok.
  46. 46Mix all ingredients well using a spatula to scrape the bottom and chopsticks to separate and combine.
  47. 47Turn the heat back up to high.
  48. 48Add the green onions and bean sprouts to the wok and continue mixing all ingredients.
  49. 49Add sesame oil and plate the chow mein.

Ingredients

  • 2 oz onion
  • 0.5 red onion
  • ginger
  • 2 stalks green onion
  • carrot
  • 6 oz green cabbage
  • 12 oz chicken thigh
  • 1 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 3 tsp cornstarch
  • 2 tbsp water
  • 1 tbsp water
  • 0.25 tsp white pepper
  • 2 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 2 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 2 tsp dark soy sauce
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp chicken bouillon powder
  • thick fresh noodles
  • 1 tbsp oil
  • oil
  • bean sprouts
  • sesame oil

Equipment

Chinese CleaverCarbon Steel WokStainless Steel SpatulaNon-Stick WokNon-Stick SpatulaGas BurnerElectric BurnerSteaming racksteamer rack with holesInfrared Laser Temperature GunWireless Meat ThermometerFood Scalesievepotchopstickstongsfrying pan

Tips

  • When chopping carrots, slice a stable base on the side for stability.
  • Cut vegetables and chicken into strips to complement the shape of the noodles.
  • When cutting chicken, slice with the grain to maintain the structure of each strip when cooking.
  • Steam noodles before stir-frying to keep them springy, firm, and chewy, and to prevent sogginess. Boiling noodles before stir-frying can make them mushy.
  • If there is a significant time gap (more than 5-10 minutes) between boiling and stir-frying noodles, shock them under cold water to prevent overcooking.
  • Have all ingredients prepared and ready before pre-heating the wok for stir-frying.
  • Add a bit of oil to the chicken before cooking to help the pieces separate and seal in juices.
  • When heating the wok, wait until it begins to smoke to know it's hot enough, then swirl oil to create a non-stick surface.
  • Lower the heat before adding chicken to prevent burning.
  • When stir-frying noodles, spread them out and let the bottom sear for about a minute until golden-brown before flipping to impart wok hei and crispiness.
  • Use chopsticks or tongs to separate noodles effectively during stir-frying.
  • Add sauce gradually on low heat and mix thoroughly to ensure even distribution of flavor.
  • To prevent noodles from clumping, steam them first, loosen them up, briefly boil, then stir-fry.

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