Pan-fried chicken with crispy noodles

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This quick and easy stir-fry recipe from the legendary Ken Hom combines a bed of crispy egg noodles with flash-fried chicken strips in a simple yet delicious soy and oyster sauce. Marinating the chicken in egg white and cornflour ensures it stays soft and moist – a Chinese technique known as velveting.

First published in 2019

This noodle dish is a great favourite of many dim sum diners in Hong Kong and Canton. In fact, I love it so much I tend to order it whenever I can. Pan-fried so that thin, crispy egg noodles are browned on both sides, and then served with a shredded chicken sauce, it makes a wonderful finale to any dim sum meal. As with noodles in general, this dish is enjoyable anytime and one can see people eating it throughout the day, not just after dim sum.

This recipe combines the crispy texture of the noodles with the softness and blandness of the chicken breasts. In this recipe the chicken is velveted, that is, coated with egg white and cornflour, to keep the meat moist and tender. The result is a comfort dish elevated to a simple culinary delight.

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

Marinade

Method

1
Combine the chicken, egg white, cornflour, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Mix well and leave in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes
2
Blanch the noodles for 2 minutes in a large pot of salted boiling water or according to the package instructions. Once cooked, drain well
3
Heat a large frying pan until hot, then add 1½ tablespoons of oil. Spread the noodles over the surface evenly, turn the heat to low and allow the noodles to turn brown slowly. This should take about 5–8 minutes
4
When the noodles are brown, gently flip them over and brown the other side, adding more oil if needed. When both sides are browned, remove the noodles and keep warm
5
Heat a wok until it is very hot and add the remaining oil. When the oil is very hot, remove the wok from the heat and immediately add the chicken shreds, stirring vigorously to keep them from sticking. When the chicken pieces turn white (this should take 2 minutes), quickly drain the chicken and all of the oil in a stainless steel colander. Discard the oil
6
Clean the wok and reheat it over high heat. Now add the bean sprouts, rice wine, soy sauce, oyster sauce, chicken stock, salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to boil and add the cornflour mixture
7
Bring the mixture to a simmer once more, then return the chicken to the sauce and give the mixture a stir. Pour this over the noodles, garnish with the spring onions and serve immediately
First published in 2019

Beloved all over the world as the gentle, smiling face of Chinese cookery, Ken Hom has graced our screens for decades and helped demystify one of the world's oldest and most complex food cultures

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