Cantonese Fried Noodles
Chow mein is hugely popular with the thrifty Chinese who believe in turning leftovers into tasty dishes. For this delicious dish, boiled noodles are fried to form a crispy crust, which is topped with a savoury sauce containing whatever tastes good and needs eating up.
Ingredients
- 225g / 8oz lean beef steak or pork fillet
- 225g / 8oz can bamboo shoots, drained 1 leek, trimmed
- 25g / 1oz Chinese dried mushrooms, soaked for 30 minutes in 120ml / 4fl oz/ ½ cup warm water
- 150g / 5oz Chinese leaves
- 450g / 1lb cooked egg noodles (255g / 8oz dried), drained well
- 90mI / 6 tbsp vegetable oil
- 30ml / 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 15ml / 1 tbsp cornflour
- 15ml / 1 tbsp rice wine or medium-dry sherry
- 5ml / 1 tsp sesame oil
- 5ml / 1 tsp caster sugar
- salt and ground black pepper
Preparation
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- Slice the beef or pork, bamboo shoots and leek into matchsticks. Drain the mushrooms, reserving 90ml / 6 tbsp of the soaking water. Cut off and discard the stems, then slice the caps finely. Cut the Chinese leaves into 2.5cm / 1in diamond-shaped pieces and sprinkle with salt. Pat the noodles dry with kitchen paper.
- Heat a third of the oil in a large wok or frying pan and sauté the noodles. After turning them over once, press the noodles evenly against the bottom of the pan with a wooden spatula until they form a flat, even cake. Cook over medium heat for about 4 minutes or until the noodles at the bottom have become crisp.
- Turn the noodle cake over with spatula or fish slice or invert on to a large plate and slide back into the wok. Cook for 3 minutes more, then slide on to a heated plate. Keep warm.
- Heat 30ml / 2 tbsp of the remaining oil in the wok. Add the strips of leek, then the meat strips and stir-fry for 10-15 seconds. Sprinkle over half the soy sauce and then add the bamboo shoots and mushrooms, with salt and pepper to taste. Toss over the heat for 1 minute, then transfer this mixture to a plate and set aside.
- Heat the remaining oil in the wok and sauté the Chinese leaves for 1 minute. Return the meat and vegetable mixture to the wok and sauté with the leaves for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
- Mix the cornflour with the reserved mushroom water. Stir into the wok along with the rice wine or sherry, sesame oil, sugar and remaining soy sauce. Cook for 15 seconds to thicken. Divide the noodles among 2-3 serving dishes and pile the meat and vegetables on top.
Serves 2-3.