Circle B Kitchen
Recipe courtesy GraceYoung
In uncustomary fashion, I followed this recipe to the last little teaspoon, and am I ever glad I did. I wouldn’t change a thing and encourage you to round up some fresh Chinese egg noodles. I’ve also used dried Chinese egg noodles which are also wonderful. If you can’t find either, use a good quality spaghetti, but no matter what noodle you choose, please do not overcook them. So much better to undercook them for a minute or so… they will continue to cook as you add them to the pan. I’ve also used regular cabbage when Napa cabbage is unavailable and it works fine. I chopped up an extra scallion to sprinkle over the top for serving.
P.S. I make this quite often and have decided that I really like using rice noodles for this. I use the flat ones that are labeled for pad thai and they work great! I just soak them in hot water for about 7-8 minutes, drain them and then stir fry them in the pan before adding the meat and veggies back in. I also like to substitute peppers and broccoli and other veggies for the cabbage sometimes.
INGREDIENTS
12 oz fresh Chinese round egg noodles (see headnote)
2 tsp sesame oil
For the Chicken:
12 oz skinless boneless chicken thighs, sliced ¼ inch thick
1 Tbsp grated ginger
1 tsp Shao Hsing rice wine or dry sherry
1 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp soy sauce
1/4 teaspoons salt
¼ tsp white pepper
2 Tbsp peanut or vegetable oil, divided
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
3 cups thinly sliced Napa cabbage
4 oz shiitake or crimini mushrooms, sliced (about 2 cups)
5 scallions, chopped (reserve some for serving)
Sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine or dry sherry
1 tablespoon soy sauce
DIRECTIONS
In a 3-quart saucepan, bring 2 quarts water to a rolling boil over high heat. Add noodles. Return to a rolling boil and cook according to package directions until al dente (not quite done). Drain noodles in a colander and rinse several times with cold water, shaking well to remove excess water. Return noodles to unwashed pan, add sesame oil, and toss until well combined. Note: if using spaghetti instead of Chinese noodles, do not rinse after draining the noodles.
Combine the chicken, ginger, rice wine, cornstarch, soy sauce, salt, and white pepper in a shallow bowl.
Heat wok (or 12-inch skillet) over high heat until a bead of water vaporizes within 1 to 2 seconds of contact. Swirl in 1 Tbsp oil; add red pepper flakes. Using a metal spatula, stir-fry 10 seconds or until pepper flakes are fragrant. Push flakes to sides of wok, add chicken mixture and spread evenly. Cook undisturbed 1 minute, letting chicken sear. Stir-fry 30 seconds more or until chicken browns. Add cabbage and mushrooms and stir-fry 1 more minute or until cabbage is just wilted. Transfer chicken and vegetables to a plate or bowl.
Swirl remaining 1 Tbsp oil into wok. Add noodles and stir-fry 15 seconds. Combine the sauce ingredients and swirl into the pan, combining with the noodles. Add the chicken mixture back into the pan with the chopped scallions. Sprinkle with the remaining ¾ tsp salt. Stir-fry 1 to 2 more minutes or until chicken is cooked through and noodles are heated through. Sprinkle with the reserved scallions to serve.