Chicken Chow Mein

Slug Icon WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS Like many dishes you’ll find in America’s Chinese restaurants, chow mein has deep roots in China, where chao mian (“fried noodles”) has been around for centuries. But this takeout standard often features dry meat and a bland, pasty sauce. To help the chicken retain moisture, we soaked sliced chicken in water and baking soda followed by a quick soak in Chinese rice wine and cornstarch. For the chow mein’s sauce, oyster sauce added meaty notes, and more rice wine added sweet brightness. To avoid a gloppy sauce, we used just a bit of cornstarch as thickener then added plenty of bean sprouts for fresh crunch. See the sidebar that follows the recipe.

SERVES 4

Purchase thin, round fresh Chinese egg noodles, not flat and/or dried noodles, or substitute 6 ounces of dried chow mein, ramen, or wheat vermicelli.

1

(9-ounce) package fresh Chinese noodles

1

tablespoon toasted sesame oil

1

teaspoon baking soda

2

(6-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and cut crosswise into ¼-inch-thick slices

3

tablespoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry

1

tablespoon cornstarch

½

cup chicken broth

3

tablespoons soy sauce

3

tablespoons oyster sauce

¼

teaspoon white pepper

2

tablespoons vegetable oil

6

ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced thin

1

carrot, peeled and cut into 2-inch matchsticks

2

celery ribs, cut on bias into ¼-inch-thick slices

4

scallions, white and green parts separated and sliced thin

3

garlic cloves, minced

1

tablespoon grated fresh ginger

4

ounces (2 cups) mung bean sprouts

1. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add noodles to boiling water and cook until tender, 2 to 4 minutes. Drain noodles, rinse thoroughly with cold water, then drain again. Toss noodles with sesame oil in bowl; set aside.

2. Meanwhile, dissolve baking soda in ½ cup cold water in bowl. Add chicken and let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes. Drain chicken, rinse under cold water, then drain again. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Combine 1 tablespoon rice wine, 2 teaspoons cornstarch, and chicken in bowl; set aside.

3. Whisk broth, soy sauce, oyster sauce, pepper, remaining 2 tablespoons rice wine, and remaining 1 teaspoon cornstarch together in bowl; set aside.

4. Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add chicken and cook, stirring frequently, until opaque, about 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and carrot and cook, stirring frequently, until tender, about 2 minutes. Add celery and cook until crisp-tender, about 1 minute. Add scallion whites, garlic, and ginger and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

5. Whisk broth mixture to recombine, then add to skillet and cook until thickened and chicken is cooked through, about 2 minutes. Add bean sprouts and noodles and toss until sauce evenly coats noodles, about 1 minute. Transfer to platter and sprinkle with scallion greens. Serve.