Cooking Lesson #413: Lunar New Year Noodles

…from the California Kitchen

How you doin’? The Lunar New Year, also known as Spring Festival, is the most important celebration of the year for many Asian cultures. It usually lasts 16 days, from New Year's Eve to the 15th day of the New Year or the Lantern Festival. This year, the celebration starts on January 31st and ends on February 15th. Let’s celebrate the Year of the Tiger. GRRRRRRR!
 
Last week I got a head start on the Lunar New Year’s celebration with a noodle lunch at Din Tai Fung. Lunar New Year is a time for long-honored food traditions and delicious celebrations. In many countries, meals include fish, fruit, and dumplings, which are symbols of luck and prosperity. Longevity noodles signify a long life and are one of the most delicious parts of this holiday meal.
 
This recipe includes all the elements that make a well-balanced stir-fry, along with a few culinary tricks to make it shine. For example, the noodles are tossed in the wok separately, in just a modicum of oil, so they stay light and springy (not clumpy!). And the chicken marinates in sherry, soy sauce and fresh ginger with a smidge of cornstarch, which keeps it moist when we throw it on a sizzling hot wok with peanut oil and red pepper flakes. This method of coating the meat in cornstarch is called velveting which I addressed in Lesson #353 (Quick Wok-Fried Slippery Beef).
 
Prep time:  30 minutes
Cook time:  20 minutes
Yield:  4 servings
 
Ingredients 
12 ounces boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1/4-inch-thick, bite-size pieces
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
3 tablespoons, plus 1 teaspoon dry sherry, divided
1-1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1-1/2 tablespoons, plus 1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce, divided
1 teaspoon, plus 1/4-teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
10 ounces dried lo mein noodles
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons peanut oil, divided
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
3 cups thinly shaved Napa cabbage
2 cups fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, caps thinly sliced
2 cups fresh bean sprouts
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions, plus 2 tablespoons more for garnish
Chile oil, for serving

Directions

1. Place the chicken pieces in a shallow bowl. Add the ginger, 1 teaspoon dry sherry, cornstarch, 1 teaspoon soy sauce, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and white pepper. Mix gently to combine and coat the chicken.
2. In a small bowl, combine the remaining 3 tablespoons dry sherry and 1-1/2 tablespoons soy sauce. Set aside.
3. Bring a medium saucepan of water to boil over high heat. Add a pinch of salt and the lo mein noodles. Stir periodically to prevent sticking and cook to al dente; about 3 minutes.
4. Drain the noodles in a colander and rinse with cold water until cool, then shake well to remove the excess water.
5. Return the noodles to the saucepan, add the sesame oil, and toss to coat to prevent sticking. Set aside.
6. Heat a wok or large sauté pan over high heat until hot. Swirl in 1 tablespoon peanut oil add the red pepper and stir-fry for 10 seconds.
7. Add the chicken in a single layer. Let cook, undisturbed, for 1 minute, or until the chicken begins to sear.
8. Stir the chicken and red pepper together, continually tossing in the wok until just cooked, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a bowl.
9. Add the cabbage, mushrooms and bean sprouts to the wok and stir-fry until just wilted and toasted but not cooked through, about 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the veggies to the bowl with the chicken.
10. Swirl in the remaining 1 tablespoon peanut oil in the pan and add the noodles. Stir-fry for 30 seconds, tossing and moving constantly to heat throughout.
11. Swirl and add the soy sauce and sherry mixture to the wok.
12. Add back the chicken and vegetables, green onions, and remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste) and stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the chicken and vegetables are heated through.
13. Garnish with additional green onions and serve hot with your favorite chile oil.

ChefSecret:  Personally, I prefer chicken thighs to breast as they are juicier, won’t dry out and have a lot more flavor.

Quip of the Day:  祝您新年快乐,身体健康–Wishing You a Happy New Year and Good Health.
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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, be positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to Feeding America.

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                                       ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2022

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