Wok Wednesdays | Chicken Chow Fun

WW wokking through Stir-Frying to the Sky's Edge

by Grace Young

 

I had way better success with this recipe than I did when I made the Beef Chow Fun, where I had unfavorable results with the noodles. It certainly helps to have the right stuff. :)

 Mise en place.

Bowl 1: Salt

Bowl 2: Fresh rice noodles

Bowl 3: Ginger, garlic

Bowl 4: Chicken, garlic, ginger, dry sherry, oyster sauce, soy sauce, cornstarch, pepper

Bowl 5: Dry sherry

Bowl 6: Bok choy, shiitake mushrooms

Bowl 7: Chicken broth, sesame oil, oyster sauce, soy sauce, cornstarch

The recipe calls for a one pound sheet of rice noodles to be cut into half-inch-wide strips.  I was fortunate enough to find them pre-cut.

The noodles are stir-fried in salted oil - salt that is added to the oil in the wok - this disperses the salt more evenly than if you sprinkled it over the noodles, says Raymond Leong who taught Grace this recipe; as well as requiring less salt by doing it this way, according to Joyce Jue, a Southeast Asian chef.

The noodles are cooked just until they achieve a crusty layer, then they are removed from the wok and set aside while the rest of the ingredients are stir-fried.

The noodles can be plated and topped with the vegetable mixture as Mr Leong does, or as I did - adding the noodles back to the wok and mixing all together; this way all the noodles are sure to get coated with some of the sauce.



This recipe can be found on page 277 of Stir-Frying to the Sky's Edge, by Grace Young.

 

We as a group have agreed not to post the recipes on our blogs. 

 

Wok Wednesdays | Nyonya-Style Singapore Noodles

WW wokking through Stir-Frying to the Sky's Edge
by Grace Young

What is Nyonya-Style you ask?

It is a highly seasoned cuisine that was created by the Chinese that immigrated to Malaysia and Singapore in the nineteenth century.

"Nyonya, a term that refers to the female descendants of Chinese settlers who married local Malay women", Grace writes in her book.

In my words: Delish!!

Mise en place.

Bowl 1: Oil

Bowl 2: Eggs

Bowl 3: Oil

Bowl 4: Scallions, shallots, garlic

Bowl 5: Chicken broth, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, ketchup, curry powder, chili garlic sauce, sugar

Bowl 6: Rice stick noodles

Bowl 7: Baked tofu (Recipe calls for fried tofu.)

Bowl 8: Scallions, bean sprouts, bay shrimp (not pictured - oops.)

Bowl 9: Cilantro

This stir-fry is a little more involved than a lot of the recipes in the book. You start by soaking your noodles in hot water until the are soft and pliable, and then drained and shaken to remove as much water as possible.

While the noodles are soaking, you make an egg "pancake" by swirling in beaten eggs and tilting the wok to make the pancake as thin as possible. Mine cooked up really fast, and was unable to get it as thin as it should have been. The pancake is transferred to a cutting board to cool, and sliced in thin strips to be used as garnish before serving.

Now we are ready to stir-fry, which goes quickly from here. The aromatics (bowl 4) are stir-fried first, then the broth mixture (the highly seasoned part) is added along with the prepared noodles and stir-fried over medium heat (most stir-frying is done over high heat) for a short time. Next the tofu is added and stir-fried until all the liquid has been absorbed. The shrimp, sprouts, and the rest of the scallions are added, and stir-fried till heated through. This is served with the pancake pieces and cilantro sprinkled on top.

This stir-fry is full of flavor, and wonderfully delicious - not one to be missed.

We are asked not to post the recipes here on our blog. If you would like the recipe, you will find it on page 278 of  Stir-Frying to the Sky's Edge, which you can purchase at your local bookstore or find it at your local library. I highly recommend purchasing the book - you won't be disappointed. 

Wok Wednesdays is an online cooking group. If you would like information about joining us, click here, or visit us on Facebook. Would love for you to wok along with us!