chow mein

Nagi Maehashi’s selected chow mein tosses soft chow mein noodles with chicken thigh, cabbage, carrot, bean sprouts and scallions. An own mixture of light soy sauce, oyster sauce, Chinese cooking wine, sugar, sesame oil, white pepper and cornstarch coats the noodles.

The sauce is mixed first, with a spoonful transferred to the chicken for marinating. The selected noodles are soaked in boiled water according to the described packet, then drained.

Peanut oil heats in the wok before finely chopped garlic and the chicken are added. Shredded cabbage, carrot strips and the white scallion portions follow, cooking until the cabbage begins to wilt.

The noodles, remaining sauce and a measured portion of water enter together and are tossed through the vegetables. Bean sprouts and the green scallion portions join near the end.

The finished chow mein is served immediately. Maehashi distinguishes this soft-noodle version from crispy chow mein, and describes its appeal as slippery noodles slick with a savoury sauce.