Ming Tsai's Chicken Chow Mein My Way

Total Time: 2 hrs 50 mins Preparation Time: 2 hrs 30 mins Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 cup shaoxing wine or 1/4 cup dry sherry or 1/4 cup marsala wine
• 1/2 cup oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger
• 1 bunch scallion, and green parts, sliced 1/8 inch thick
• 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper, plus additional
• 1 tablespoon sambal oelek
• 1 lb chicken meat, preferably from legs and thighs, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 lb egg noodles, fresh or 1 lb dried lo mein noodles
• 5 tablespoons canola oil
• 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 2 cups quartered fresh shiitake mushroom caps
• 3 heads bok choy, cored and cut into 1/2-inch slices
• 1 cup snow pea pods
• 1 cup chicken stock or 1 cup low-sodium canned broth
• salt (optional)

Recipe

• 1 in a large bowl, combine the cornstarch and wine and mix. stir in the oyster sauce, ginger, scallions, the 1 teaspoon pepper, and the sambal oelek. add the chicken, stir to coat, and allow to marinate covered and refrigerated for at least 2 hours and preferably overnight.
• 2 bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. fill a bowl with water and add ice. add the lo mein to the boiling water and cook until al dente, about 5 minutes for fresh, 10 to 15 minutes for dried. drain and transfer the noodles to the ice water. when cold, drain and toss with 1 tablespoon of the oil. set aside.
• 3 heat a wok over high heat. add 2 tablespoons of the oil and swirl to coat. when the oil shimmers, add the garlic and shiitakes and stir-fry until the mushrooms are soft, about 4 minutes. remove the mushrooms and set aside. add the remaining 2 tablespoons of the oil and, when hot, add the chicken (shake off excess marinade) and stir-fry until almost cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes. add the bok choy and pea pods and stir-fry until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes.
• 4 add the stock and season with the salt and pepper to taste. add the reserved shiitakes and the noodles. stir to coat, and heat through, about 5 minutes.
• 5 correct the seasonings and serve.