Authentic Chow Mein Recipes

Steps:

• Cut meat into thin strips.
• Combine 2 tbsp cornstarch with sugar, blend in 1 tbsp soy sauce and 2 tbsp oil; mix to blend.
• Pour over pork strips; toss well to coat, marinade in mixture for 20 minutes.
• In a wok or large saute pan heat 2 tablespoons shortening; brown the meat lightly on all sides in hot shortening (after browning the pork you may add in chopped garlic and saute for 2 minutes if desired).
• Add remaining 4 tbsp soy sauce and 1-1/2 cups water; simmer, covered on low heat for 45 minutes.
• Add in the celery and onions; simmer for 15 minutes more.
• In a small bowl, blend in remaining cornstarch with 1/4 cup water; stir into meat mixture.
• Add molasses, water chestnuts, bean sprouts and mushrooms; heat thoroughly.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Garnish with chopped green onions and toasted almonds.

Steps:

• Prepare pasta according to package directions, for minimum time.
• Heat oil in large wok over high heat.
• Add chicken; stir-fry until no pink is visible, roughly four minutes. remove with slotted spoon.
• Add garlic, ginger, onion, scallions, carrots, and celery; stir-fry until softened, roughly five minutes.
• Add cabbage; stir-fry on to two minutes, or just until wilting begins.
• Add back chicken, water chestnuts, noodles, and sauce; stir-fry until heated through.
• *Note: I used All-purpose Stir-Fry Sauce(Number 87748) for this.

Steps:

• Marinate the chicken: Combine the 2 teaspoons soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil in a small bowl. Add the sliced chicken, and toss to completely coat. Set aside while you cook the noodles.
• Cook the chow mein noodles according to package directions, drain well, and set aside.
• Heat half of the oil (1 tablespoon) in a very large skillet or wok. When is is very hot, but not smoking, add the chicken mixture, and stir fry until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken to a plate, set aside and keep warm.
• Add the rest of the oil to the skillet, then add the cabbage, bok choy, water chestnuts and garlic; stir fry for a couple of minutes until the vegetables begin to wilt. Add the noodles, and continue to cook until the noodles are hot, and well combined with the vegetables.
• Add the soy sauce and oyster sauce, toss to combine. Add the chicken, toss to combine.
• Transfer the chow mein to a serving platter, and top with the chopped green onions. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• Bring 8 cups unsalted water to a boil in a 6- to 8-quart pot, then add noodles, stirring to separate, and cook 15 seconds. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold water until noodles are cool, then shake colander briskly to drain excess water.
• Cut steak with the grain into 1 1/2- to 2-inch-wide strips. Cut each strip across the grain into 1/4-inch-thick slices and put in a medium bowl. Using your hands, toss beef with sugar, sesame oil, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon rice wine, 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, and 1 teaspoon cornstarch. Let beef marinate at room temperature while preparing remaining ingredients.
• Stir together remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon rice wine, 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, and 1 teaspoon cornstarch with 1/4 teaspoon white pepper in a small bowl until smooth, then stir in chicken broth.
• Heat wok over high heat until a drop of water evaporates within 1 to 2 seconds of contact, then add 1/2 cup peanut oil and heat until just smoking. Carefully add noodles all at once, flattening top to form a 9-inch cake. Cook until underside is golden, 4 to 5 minutes, rotating noodle cake with a metal spatula to brown evenly and lifting edges occasionally to check color. Carefully flip noodle cake over with spatula and tongs, then cook, rotating cake, until other side is golden, 2 to 3 minutes more. Transfer noodle cake to a large paper-towel-lined plate to drain excess oil. Discard any oil remaining in wok and wipe out wok with paper towels.
• Transfer drained noodle cake to a platter and loosely cover with foil to keep warm.
• Heat wok over high heat until a drop of water evaporates within 1 to 2 seconds of contact. Pour 1 tablespoon peanut oil down side of wok, then swirl oil, tilting wok to coat sides. Add beef, spreading pieces in 1 layer on bottom and sides as quickly as possible. Cook, undisturbed, letting beef begin to brown, 1 minute, then stir-fry until meat is just browned on all sides but still pink in center, about 1 minute. Transfer meat and any juices to a plate.
• Add 1 tablespoon oil to wok over high heat. When oil just begins to smoke, add ginger and garlic and stir-fry 5 seconds, then add scallions and stir-fry 30 seconds. Add mushrooms and stir-fry until softened, about 3 minutes. Add choy sum and stir-fry until leaves are bright green and just wilted, 2 to 3 minutes (if using broccoli, cook until almost crisp-tender). Stir broth mixture, then pour into wok and stir-fry until sauce is slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Add beef and stir to coat. Return mixture just to a boil, then pour over noodle cake.
• *Available at Uwajimaya (800-889-1928).

Steps:

• Bring 8 cups unsalted water to a boil in a 6- to 8-quart pot, then add noodles, stirring to separate, and cook 15 seconds. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold water until noodles are cool, then shake colander briskly to drain excess water.
• Stir together soy sauce, rice wine, oyster sauce, and cornstarch with 1/4 teaspoon white pepper in a small bowl until smooth, then stir in chicken broth.
• Heat wok over high heat until a drop of water evaporates within 1 to 2 seconds of contact, then add 1/2 cup peanut oil and heat until just smoking. Carefully add noodles all at once, flattening top to form a 9-inch cake. Cook until underside is golden, 4 to 5 minutes, rotating noodle cake with a metal spatula to brown evenly and lifting edges occasionally to check color.
• Carefully flip noodle cake over with spatula and tongs, then cook, rotating cake, until other side is golden, 2 to 3 minutes more. Transfer noodle cake to a large paper-towel-lined plate to drain excess oil. Discard any oil remaining in wok and wipe out wok with paper towels.
• Transfer drained noodle cake to a platter and loosely cover with foil to keep warm.
• Heat wok over high heat until a drop of water evaporates within 1 to 2 seconds of contact.
• Add 1 tablespoon oil to wok over high heat. When oil just begins to smoke, add ginger and garlic and stir-fry 5 seconds, then add scallions and stir-fry 30 seconds. Add mushrooms and stir-fry until softened, about 3 minutes. Add choy sum and stir-fry until leaves are bright green and just wilted, 2 to 3 minutes (if using broccoli, cook until almost crisp-tender).
• Stir broth mixture, then pour into wok and stir-fry until sauce is slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.
• Return mixture just to a boil, then pour over noodle cake.

Steps:

• Immerse egg noodles into boiling water for 30 seconds, then remove and set aside.
• Heat your wok at high heat, keep it dry. Add 5 tbsp oil and coat the wok evenly with oil.
• Fry the noodles for about 2 minutes, and keep shaking it back and forth, until the noodles turn golden brown. Flip and repeat.
• The outer noodles should be golden, inner ones are soft. Remove noodles and arrange in center of a plate.
• Blanch the vegetables in boiling water (30 seconds). You can arrange the bok choy in a circle around the noodles if you like.
• Put some oil and fry minced garlic in the work, then add the blanched vegetables and stir fry. Add the meat ingredients, 1 tbsp water, cover the wok and steam for 1 - 2 minutes.
• Add the flavouring ingredients, the water with corn starch, and fry gently. Add a bit more water if you want more sauce.
• Pour the veggies and meat over the noodles.
• Note #1: Char xiu (Honey BBQ pork) is available in Chinatown or a good Chinese grocery store, as well as baby boy choy (also known as Shanghai bok choy).
• Note #2: Ideally you should use a large non-stick wok for frying noodles. Traditionally, Chinese people use a carbon steel wok, which is baked in the oven after purchase, and then rubbed with oil after washing each time to protect it. It turns black over time, and is pretty much non-stick. You could also use a non-stick pan, but non-stick coatings are poisonous and will accumulate in your body. Non-stick pans should generally be only used with medium or low heat. If you like them, get a professional grade non-stick pan for high heat cooking, it feels like ceramic.
• Note #3: I often add a dash of rice wine (sake) to the meat and vegetables. It just gives it a little extra flavour and isn't salty like most cooking wines.

Steps:

• Cook 225g egg noodles in a large pan of boiling water for 3-5 mins, then drain and put them in cold water. Drain thoroughly, toss them with 1 tbsp sesame oil and set aside.
• Combine 100g chicken breasts, cut into fine shreds, with 2 tsp light soy sauce, 2 tsp Shaohsing rice wine or dry sherry, 1 tsp sesame oil, ½ tsp white pepper and ½ tsp salt for the marinade, mix well and then leave to marinate for about 10 mins.
• Heat a wok over a high heat. Add 1 tbsp groundnut oil and, when it is very hot and slightly smoking, add the chicken shreds.
• Stir-fry for about 2 mins and then transfer to a plate.
• Wipe the wok clean, reheat until it is very hot then add 1½ tbsp groundnut oil.
• When the oil is slightly smoking, add the 2 finely chopped garlic cloves and stir-fry for 10 seconds.
• Add 50g finely shredded mangetout and 50g finely shredded prosciutto, and stir-fry for about 1 min.
• Add the noodles, 2 tsp light soy sauce, 2 tsp dark soy sauce,1 tbsp Shaohsing rice wine or dry sherry, ½ tsp white pepper, ½ tsp golden caster sugar, 2 finely chopped spring onions and 1 tsp salt.
• Stir-fry for 2 mins. Return the chicken and any juices to the noodle mixture. Stir-fry for about 3-4 mins or until the chicken is cooked.
• Add 1 tsp sesame oil and give the mixture a few final stirs. Put on a warm platter and serve immediately.