Chinese Noodles Stir Fry Recipe
A Delicious Stir Fry with Hong Kong-Style Noodles
When we are looking for a quick and easy meal on a weeknight, we often turn to a stir fry recipe like this one. You can use the ingredients listed below or substitute foods you have on hand. If you live near an Asian food market or have a supermarket that carries some exotic vegetables, give them a try and let me know your results below.
Chow Mein Noodles
Chow mien is stir fried noodles and is the mispronunciation of the Chinese word “chāu-mèing. Translated, it means fried – chow and noodles – mien. There are several different types of Chinese noodles including thin and wide wonton noodles, lo mein, and Hong Kong-Style Pan-Fried (chow mien) noodles. If you want to learn more about the differences between these varieties, I found a good article at Seriouseats.com.
In their post, they describe Hong Kong-Style as “looking similar to thin wonton noodles. The main difference is that noodles labeled “Hong Kong” or “pan-fried noodles” are par-cooked in boiling water, which makes them ready to stir-fry.”
If you can’t find these fresh chow mein noodles, they suggest you substitute thin wonton noodles. To use, boil them in water for about a minute, drain, dry and toss them with a little oil.
When cooking Hong Kong-Style (Chow Mein) noodles, it’s important to loosen them up after removing from the package so they don’t clump together when placed in the pan.
Ingredients
4 tablespoons dry sherry wine
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons cornstarch
4 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 pound fresh Shiitake mushrooms, de-stemed and sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 2-inch piece ginger, minced
12 ounces broccoli rabe, chopped
12 ounces fresh Chow Mein Noodles (Hong Kong-Style Noodles)
5 tablespoons peanuts
1 bunch chives
Salt and pepper, to taste
How To Prepare At Home
Prep the Ingredients
Peel & mince the garlic and ginger.
Roughly chop the broccoli rabe and peanuts.
De-stem the mushrooms and thinly slice the caps (Discard the stems or save them for stock)
Slice the chives on a bias into 1/2 inch pieces
Make the Sauce
Combine the sherry and water with the corn starch in a small bowl using a small whisk (fork will do too) Add half the soy sauce, taste and adjust flavor by adding more soy sauce if needed.
Make the Stir Fry
Heat a stir fry pan or large nonstick fry pan over medium hot. Add 1 tablespoon oil to the pan and when hot, add the mushrooms. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes until browned and start to soften.
Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute. Add the broccoli rabe and continue stir frying for 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer the stir fried veggies to a plate and reserve.
In the same pan, add the other tablespoon of oil and spread it around the bottom of the pan.
Separate the noodles with your hands and spread them out in the pan to make a single layer. Cook the noodles using a pair of kitchen tongs to turn them over, keep them separated and coat them with the oil. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes until crispy and browned.
Add the sauce you just made to the noodles and carefully combine the noodles with the sauce with the tongs.
Add the reserved vegetables to the pan and then half the peanuts and chives. Again, using your kitchen tongs, mix everything together until it is well combined and heated through.
Remove from heat, taste and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper.
Plate the stir fry and top with the remaining chives and peanuts as a garnish.
I'm a work-at-home dad who enjoys cooking, learning everything I can about the culinary world and sharing it with you. To learn more about me...
