Chow Mein

Ingredients

Noodles

• 500 gfresh thin egg noodles, or 300 g dried

Meat

• 300 gchicken, pork or beef, sliced thinly
• 1 tbsplight soy sauce
• 1 tspcornflour
• 1 tspShaoxing wine

Vegetables

• 1onion, sliced
• 150 gbeansprouts
• 2carrots, in fine strips
• 4spring onions, in lengths
• 150 gcabbage or choy sum, shredded

Sauce

• 3 tbsplight soy sauce
• 1 tbspdark soy sauce
• 1 tbspoyster sauce
• 1 tspsugar
• 1 tspsesame oil
• white pepper
• 3 tbspstock

To cook

• 4 tbspoil

Equipment

• a wok, and the largest flame available

Directions

1. Drain them extremely well and toss them with a teaspoon of oil. Wet noodles going into a wok drop the temperature and steam everything, so shake them thoroughly dry. Toss the sliced meat with soy sauce, cornflour and wine and leave it fifteen minutes. The cornflour forms a light coating that protects the meat from the fierce heat and keeps it tender.
2. Slice the meat thinly and across the grain, which shortens the fibres and keeps it tender. The whole cooking takes five minutes and there is no time to chop anything once it starts. Cook in two batches rather than crowding the wok, since a crowded wok drops in temperature immediately.
3. Let it sit for a moment to colour before stirring, then toss it until just cooked and take it out. Take it out slightly underdone, since it returns to the wok at the end and continues cooking.
4. Keep the vegetables crisp, since the contrast between soft noodles and crunchy vegetables is much of the point. Beansprouts need thirty seconds at most and turn limp and watery if cooked longer.
5. Use tongs or two spatulas and lift rather than stir, which separates the strands without breaking them. Let them sit against the hot wok for a few seconds at a time to pick up some colour.
6. Pour it around the edge of the wok rather than into the middle. Pouring it down the hot sides makes it sizzle and caramelise slightly, which is where wok flavour comes from. Return the meat and toss everything together for a final thirty seconds. Add the sesame oil off the heat, since it burns readily and its aroma is volatile.
7. Serve it immediately, straight from the wok. For the crisp version, press the blanched noodles into a flat cake, shallow fry both sides until golden, and pour the stir-fry over the top.

Technique

• Soft and crispy chow mein are both authentic and quite different.
• Velveting the meat with cornflour is what keeps it tender.
• Fresh noodles must be blanched and loosened before they go in the wok.

Substitutions

• Dried egg noodles, cooked slightly under and rinsed.
• Any combination of vegetables and meat.

Variations

• Hong Kong style, with a crisp fried noodle cake.
• Made with prawns or with tofu.
• Vegetarian, with mushrooms and extra vegetables.

Frequently asked questions

What is Chow Mein?

Chow Mein is a main from China: stir-fried wheat noodles with sliced meat and crisp vegetables.

How long does Chow Mein take to make?

Chow Mein takes 25 min of preparation and 15 min of cooking. The recipe makes 4 servings. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Chow Mein?

Yes, within limits. Dried egg noodles, cooked slightly under and rinsed. Any combination of vegetables and meat.

What is the most important thing to get right in Chow Mein?

Slice the meat thinly and across the grain, which shortens the fibres and keeps it tender. The whole cooking takes five minutes and there is no time to chop anything once it starts. Cook in two batches rather than crowding the wok, since a crowded wok drops in temperature immediately.