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Chow Mein: A Chinese Chef’s Masterclass

total time
0:35

serves
4

Ingredients

Main Ingredients

  • 18 oz thick chow mein  
  • noodles 
  • 2 oz red onion
  • 2 oz carrot
  • 6 oz cabbage
  • 1 oz green onion
  • 4 oz bean sprouts
  • 12 oz chicken thigh 4 tbsp corn oil

Chicken Maarinade

  • 1 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 3 tsp cornstarch
  • 3 tbsp water
  • 0.25 tsp white pepper

Sauce

  • 2 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 2 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 2 tsp dark soy sauce
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp chicken bouillon powder
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil

Instructions

  1. Prepare Vegetables:
    Cut red onion (2 oz) into strips.
    Stabilize carrot (2 oz) by cutting a thin slice along side. Put carrot with that base down, then cut into thin slices. Angle slices so that they are more oblong than circular. Then, cut slices into strips.
    Cut cabbage (6 oz) into strips, about 1/2-inch thick.
    Cut green onions (1 oz) into 1-inch long pieces.
  2. Prepare Chicken:
    Bone-in chicken thighs: Remove bone, angle knife towards it and slice down both sides. When bone is more exposed, pull it up vertically and slice around it to release it from flesh.
    Even out thickness of meat by slicing thicker parts of flesh. Then, cut into thin strips, going with grain. Place chicken in bowl. Add oyster sauce (1 tbsp), cornstarch (3 tsp), water (3 tbsp) and white
    pepper (0.25 tsp). Mix well. Set aside to marinate.
  3. Create Sauce:
    In bowl, combine oyster sauce (2 tbsp), light soy sauce (2 tbsp), dark soy sauce (2 tsp), sugar (1 tsp), and chicken bouillon powder (1 tsp).
  4. Steam & Boil Noodles:
    Place steamer rack in wok. Add boiling water, stop before it reaches top of rack. Turn heat to high.
    Place noodles on a plate or steamer basket. Put into wok, cover with lid.
    Once water boils, set timer for 12-15 minutes with the stove on high heat.
    Take out noodles, remove steamer rack, then dump noodles into boiling water in wok. Loosen noodles and cook for 5-6 minutes on medium-high heat. (If you break apart a strand of noodle and center has a pale dot, noodle is not fully cooked through and needs a bit more time. If there’s no white dot, it’s ready.)
    Drain cooked noodles in colander.
  5. Stir Fry Chicken
    Add oil (1 tbsp) to marinated chicken. Helps loosen, reduces sticking, contributes to a softer, silkier texture. Heat wok on high. When it just begins to smoke, add oil (2 tbsp) and swirl to coat.
    Lower heat to medium and add chicken. Spread chicken so that more surface area can sear. Let bottom of chicken pieces sear before stirring. After 30-40 seconds, when pieces have developed a good sear, they’ll begin to release from the wok on their own.
    Increase heat to high, stirring and separating chicken pieces with a spatula. Stir-fry chicken for 40-50 seconds until chicken is nearly or fully cooked through.
    Wok cooking: Turn heat down to medium and transfer chicken to clean dish; we’ll bring it back later. Large frying pan cooking: Turn heat down. Do not remove chicken.
  6. Stir-fry Vegetables
    There should be plenty of residual oil in wok after stir-frying chicken. Add red onions and cook until aromatic.
    Add cabbage and stir-fry together for 20-30 seconds.
    Add carrots and stir-fry together for 30 seconds on high heat.
    Wok cooking: Remove vegetables from wok. Transfer into dish that’s holding cooked chicken. Large frying pan cooking: Remove chicken and vegetables from wok, transferring to clean dish.
  7. Stir-Fry Noodles
    Add oil (1 tbsp) to wok or pan.
    Add noodles and turn heat to high. Use chopsticks to loosen noodles and quickly spread them out over wok surface. Don’t stir or mix them up yet; give noodles time to sear and take on golden-brown coloring.
    After 1 minute of pan-frying noodles, stir and flip noodles. Pan-fry for another minute
    Lower heat to medium, let noodles pan-fry for a final 40 seconds. (Last chance for that crispy golden-brown goodness!)
  8. Add Sauce
    Turn heat to low, and pour sauce into wok. Stir until sauce is well-distributed.
    Add chicken and vegetables. Mix until well-combined, 30 seconds. Turn heat to medium-high and add bean sprouts. Stir-fry until warmed and mixed into noodles, or about 1 minute. Drizzle sesame oil (1 tbsp) over chow mein. Mix and stir-fry on high heat until it’s just distributed, about 1 minute.
    Plate and serve. Enjoy!

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