Better Than Takeout Chicken Lo Mein

Ingredients

• 1 lb fresh egg noodles (also known as lo mein noodles; can substitute with pasta cooked to 80% done)
• 12.3 oz chicken breast (sliced thinly)
• 3 garlic (cloves, sliced thinly)
• 0.5 inch ginger (julienned or finely grated)
• 0.33 tsp salt
• 0.33 tsp baking soda (used to tenderize the meat fibers)
• 0.5 tbsp Chinese cooking wine (for marinade)
• black pepper (to taste)
• 4 oz carrot (sliced or julienned)
• 0.5 red bell pepper (sliced)
• 5 shiitake mushroom (sliced)
• 5 oz snap peas
• 1.5 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
• 1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine (for sauce)
• 1 tsp pure peanut butter (helps sauce thicken and cling to noodles)
• 0.5 cup water
• 5 scallions (cut into stalks)

Steps

1. 1

   Slice the chicken breast thinly, which allows the marinade to mingle faster and ensures it will cook quickly.

2. 2

   Slice the garlic thinly and julienne the ginger (or grate it finely if you prefer not to bite into ginger pieces). Add the garlic and ginger to the sliced chicken.

3. 3

   Season the chicken with 1/3 tsp of salt, 1/2 tbsp of Chinese cooking wine, black pepper to taste, and 1/3 tsp of baking soda. Mix well to ensure the baking soda is distributed, which will tenderize the meat fibers. Set aside to marinade.

4. 4

   Prepare your vegetables: slice the carrot, red bell pepper, and shiitake mushrooms. Trim the snap peas and cut the scallions into stalks.

5. 5

   In a small bowl, combine the sauce ingredients: 1.5 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp dark soy sauce, 1 tbsp oyster sauce, 1 tbsp hoisin sauce, 1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine, 1 tsp pure peanut butter, and 1/2 cup of water. Break up the peanut butter so it doesn't clump.

6. 6

   Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the fresh egg noodles until they are 80% done. Drain them completely. Do not overcook, as they will finish cooking in the wok.

7. 7

   Heat a wok over high heat until it is smoking hot. Add a small amount of oil (as implied by wok cooking) and toss in the marinated chicken. Stir-fry for about 2 minutes or until the chicken just changes color.

8. 8

   Add the carrot, bell pepper, mushrooms, and snap peas to the wok. Continue to stir-fry for 1 minute.

9. 9

   Add the well-drained noodles and the prepared lo mein sauce to the wok. Stir constantly over medium heat until the sauce is completely absorbed by the noodles.

10. 10

    As soon as the sauce is gone, turn off the heat to prevent the noodles from sticking. Add the scallions, toss well, and serve immediately.

Notes

Baking soda is a key technique for 'velveting' the chicken, making it tender like restaurant-style dishes. If you have a nut allergy, you can substitute the peanut butter with Tahini (sesame paste). This recipe reheats very well in the microwave for lunch.

Nutrition per serving

• main course
• stir-fry
• chicken
• noodles
• quick dinner
• Chinese
• takeout-style