I like all carbs however I’ve to confess that noodles are my final fave. I’m fairly positive that I can eat noodles all day, every single day for the remainder of my life and be completely blissful. Particularly if the noodle dishes embody chow mein.
I grew up consuming chow mein: do-it-yourself for lunch or dinner; chow mein at events; on the finish of Chinese language banquets; or simply on a regular basis, each time. It’s smoky, crispy, stuffed with taste and so, so good. I like that it’s an all-in-one meal: protein, greens, and carbs in a single scrumptious dish.
What’s chow mein
Chow mein actually means fried noodles. The dish consists of skinny egg noodles stir-fried with aromatics, proteins, and greens. It’s the proper one pan meal: it’s fast to make, and so versatile.
There are literally two sorts of chow mein: a crispy model and a saucy model. Calling one crispy is type of complicated as a result of each variations needs to be crispy, however the principle distinction is how the sauce is included into the dish.
The right way to make chow mein
- Prep the components. Wash and reduce the greens into chunk measurement items, slice the hen into strips and marinate it.
- Soak and drain the noodles. Place the recent chow mein noodles in a bowl with sizzling faucet water and soak for 1 minute then drain nicely.
- Make the sauce. In a bowl, combine collectively the chow mein sauce: oyster sauce, candy soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, and a little bit of water and pepper.
- Prepare dinner the protein. Warmth up the wok add a beneficiant quantity of oil and prepare dinner the hen till seared and cooked by means of.
- Add the greens. Stir within the veggies and prepare dinner till tender crisp however not tender.
- Crisp up the noodles. Add the drained noodles and blend all the things collectively.
- Sauce and luxuriate in! Pour within the sauce, flip the warmth up, combine and sear to provide it that attribute smoky chow mein taste.
Substances
- Recent noodles – The noodles used for chow mein are recent, skinny, crinkly noodles made with flour and eggs. They arrive offered recent, refrigerated in baggage at Asian grocery shops. Extra on noodles beneath.
- Hen – I like utilizing hen thighs as a result of they’re juicy and don’t overcook simply, however you need to use hen breast as nicely. You can even go along with beef or pork!
- Soy sauce – We’ll use soy sauce for the marinade for the meat so it will get a salty umami hit. Ensure you get naturally brewed soy sauce. We often go for Lee Kum Kee or Amoy gentle soy sauce.
- Cornstarch – Cornstarch provides just a little bit of warmth safety for the hen so it doesn’t dry out. It additionally offers the hen a barely tender velvety coat. It’s the distinction between restaurant model stir fries and residential stir fries. Don’t skip out on the cornstarch!
- Shaoxing wine – That is the key ingredient to what makes restaurant Chinese language meals style so good. It provides a evenly candy, earthy, nutty, advanced aroma to your Chinese language cooking. Learn extra about it right here.
- Oyster sauce – Oyster sauce is a thick savory sauce with a touch of caramel sweetness and umami. It may be discovered within the Asian aisle of any grocery retailer. If you happen to see Lee Kum Kee bottle with two folks in a ship, go for that one. It’s the premium oyster sauce which lists oysters as its first ingredient, in contrast to the one with the purple panda label which has oysters listed additional down the record. If you happen to’re vegetarian, they promote vegetarian oyster sauce too!
- Candy soy sauce – That is the important thing ingredient that provides umami and sweetness to the sauce. Candy soy sauce is darker, extra caramelized, and can make your noodles superbly brown. We like Lee Kum Kee model.
- Toasted sesame oil – Toasted sesame oil provides a light-weight nuttiness and heat to the sauce.
What noodles to make use of
Chow mein noodles are yellow, skinny, wavy egg noodles. Constituted of flour and eggs, they arrive recent in baggage within the refrigerated noodle part at most grocery shops (particularly the Asian ones). You can even purchase them dry within the noodle aisle, however recent noodles are finest and are often positioned in a fridge close to the mushrooms or tofu. Generally they’re labeled as Hong Kong model or Cantonese model, or steamed.
The right way to prep recent chow mein noodles
The recent noodles that you just get within the refrigerated aisle are already par-cooked. After shopping for them, retailer within the fridge.
All you must do to prep them earlier than including them to the pan is solely soak them in sizzling faucet water for a few seconds then drain nicely. You don’t wish to boil them or go away them within the sizzling water too lengthy as a result of they’ll get tender, mushy, and break into quick strands.
Chow mein sauce recipe
The sauce is what offers chow mein all of its seasoning and addictive flavors. It’s a mixture of oyster sauce, candy soy sauce, toasted sesame oil and freshly floor black pepper. It’s stuffed with candy and savory umami and critically SO good. To make: in a bowl or measuring cup, combine collectively 1/3 cup water, 2 tbsp oyster sauce, 3 tbsp candy soy sauce, 1 tsp toasted sesame oil, and white or black pepper to style. Add it to the pan with the noodles and switch up the warmth to provide all the things a searing crisp.
Crispy chow mein
Crispy chow mein is the place the sauce is added to the noodles whilst you’re cooking. An umami heavy sauce goes into to the wok with the noodles and all the things tosses and fries collectively till smoky and crisp. A traditional instance is Hong Kong model soy sauce chow mein.
In Chinese language we name this sort dry fried or gon (乾), though it’s usually not included within the title of the dish – Chinese language folks typically know which of them are crispy or saucy.
Saucy chow mein
Confusingly, the saucy model additionally has crispy noodles. Actually, it has a whole large crispy noodle cake the place a thick gravy sort sauce containing meats and greens is placed on prime proper earlier than serving. On the desk, you combine up the sauce with the noodles and benefit from the distinction between the additional crispy noodles and gravy. A superb instance of that is black bean beef chow mein. In Chinese language we name this sort moist fried or sup .
Additionally confusingly all chow mein dishes may be both crispy or saucy. Hen chow mein can come as crispy with items of hen combined in with the noodles *or* it could possibly include hen items in a thick gravy that’s served on prime of a crispy noodle cake.
For the aim of this submit, we’re solely going to be speaking in regards to the crispy model; the type with out the gravy on prime.
Now that you realize the distinction between crispy and saucy, how about chow mein vs lo mein?
What’s the distinction between lo mein and chow mein?
There are two major variations between chow mein and lo mein.
- The noodles. Chow mein noodles are skinny, crinkly, and crispy. Lo mein noodles are thicker, chewier, and smoother. Each varieties of noodles are often made with flour and eggs.
- The best way they’re cooked. Chow mein noodles crisp up within the pan over excessive warmth so that you get a smoky, crunchy-crispy texture. Lo mein noodles toss gently in sauce over warmth so the noodles keep tender and chewy.
Study extra about lo mein right here.
Variations
Vegetarian
Skip out on the hen and simply sear a bunch of greens till tender crisp. All and any greens work right here, simply you’ll want to reduce them up into manageable bit sized items.
Beef
As an alternative of marinating hen, marinate some beef for beef chow mein. You should use flank steak, skirt steak, or thinly sliced sirloin. Minimize it into skinny strips in opposition to the grain so the strips of beef are tender and juicy.
Soy sauce
Hong Kong model supreme soy sauce fried noodles or si yau wong chow mein 豉油皇炒麵 is likely one of the hottest fried noodles on the market, particularly at dim sum. It’s a easy soy sauce fried noodle with bean sprouts, scallions, and onion. So easy, however so good! Try this submit to study extra.
Wok Cooking
When you’ve got a carbon metal wok (not a teflon coated one), that is essentially the most genuine strategy to make chow mein. To make sure that your noodles don’t follow the wok, you’ll want to get it actually sizzling earlier than including oil. There’s a saying: sizzling wok, chilly oil, and it’s true. Have all of your components prepped beforehand – wok cooking is quick and there’s no time to cease to search for components.
To make chow mein in a wok: warmth a dry wok on excessive warmth, watching rigorously for smoke. As soon as your wok is smoking sizzling, add oil, then instantly add your hen and toss. When the hen is cooked, take away it and adda little extra oil, then toss the veggies. When the veg is cooked, add the noodles, hen, and the sauce and toss vigorously till the noodles are agency and crisp.
Air Fryer Saucy Chow Mein
This can be a tremendous easy manner of creating saucy chow mein – the type that has a large crispy noodle cake that has a thick gravy on prime that soaks into the noodles making it further saucy and scrumptious. My new favourite manner of creating a large crispy noodle cake is the air fryer! Merely crisp up the noodles within the air fryer and whereas it’s doing it’s factor, make the sauce on the range. When the noodles are crispy, pour the sauce on the noodles, letting it soak into all of the crevices. Critically, so good!
To make air fryer saucy chow mein: Soak the chow mein noodles in sizzling water for 1 minute then drain nicely. Toss the drained noodles with 2 tbsp impartial oil then prepare the noodles the the air fryer basket. Ensure you evenly oil or line the air fryer basket so the noodle cake is straightforward to take away. Fry the noodle cake for 10-Quarter-hour at 350°F, flipping as soon as.
Whereas the noodles are crisping, make the sauce. We’re going to make use of the very same components because the crispy chow mein down beneath. Warmth up 1 tbsp of oil in a frying pan and add the marinated hen when sizzling. Prepare dinner, stirring, till browned and not pink. Add the onions and inexperienced onions and prepare dinner till the onions soften. Add the sauce, together with an additional 1/2 cup of hen inventory and 1 tsp cornstarch. Carry the sauce to a simmer till it thickens and coats the hen. Take away the pan from the warmth.
When the crispy noodles are finished, take away them from the air fryer and place on a platter. Pour the hen gravy on prime and luxuriate in!