Pictorial: Hong Kong Chicken Pan-Fried Noodles

[hzrt8w]

Hong Kong Style Chicken Pan-Fried Noodles (港式雞肉煎麵)

Michael (pan): This set of pictorial is for you. It illustrates a different style of Chow Mein. In Hong Kong, this is known as the "wet style" because the dish is made with a sauce (based on broth and oyster sauce and soy sauce) covering the noodles that are first pan-fried. This is in contrast to the Soy Sauce Chow Mein where soft noodles are fried with the meat and soy sauce.

Serving suggestion: 1 to 2

Basic ingredients: Use about 8 oz of fresh, thin, soft egg noodles. You can usually find these in the refrigerator section in an Asian grocery store. If the noodles are curled up into ball shapes, use 3 of them. 1 piece of boneless chicken breast, about 1/2 lb to 3/4 lb. 3 cloves of garlic. 2 stalks of Chinese vegetables (e.g. bok choy or Taiwanese greens). Basic ingredients to make the sauce include chicken broth, oyster sauce, dark soy sauce and Shao Hsing cooking wine.

Take the chicken breast, trim and discard all fats and cut into 1/4 inch thick slices.

Lay the noodles on a plate. Uncurl them using your fingers. Try to make them as fluffy as you can.

Marinate the chicken: Use a small mixing bowl, add chicken slices. To marinate, add 1 tsp of sesame oil, 1 tsp of ground white pepper, 1 tsp of Shao Hsing cooking wine, 1 tsp of corn starch, 1 tsp of light soy sauce, and 1 tsp of oyster sauce.

Mix all the marinade ingredients well. Set aside for 20 minutes or 1 hour in the refrigerator.

Mince 2 to 3 cloves of garlic. Use 2 stalks of Chinese greens. Cross cut twice along the stem to cut each stalk of vegetable into 4 quarters. Wash and drain.

Use a pan/wok, set stove to high setting, add 2 tblsp of cooking oil. Wait until the oil gets hot, velvet the marinated chicken slices on the pan. Cook until the meat turns white from pink, about 3 minutes. Remove from pan.

Use a small pot, fill it with shallow water and set to boil. Lightly blanch the vegetables and drain. This will save some time when preparing the final dish.

Start with a clean pan/wok. Set stove to high setting. Add a generous amount of cooking oil, about 3 to 4 tblsp. Wait until the oil starts fuming.

All the noodles on to the pan. The noodles should brown very quickly. Use a pair of chopsticks or the spatula to make sure the noodles are getting browned evenly. If you need to, use the spatula to press the noodles agains the pan or add some more cooking oil to make sure at least you brown most of the noodles. Or else the noodles may taste "raw".

Flip the noodles and pan-fry the other side. Make sure the noodles are getting browned evenly.

Remove the noodles and set them on the serving plate.

Prepare 1 tsp of Shao Hsing cooking wine in the bottle cap.

After removing the noodles, add 2 tblsp of cooking oil in the pan. Maintain stove setting at high. Wait until oil starts fuming. Quickly add minced garlic, a pinch of salt (e.g. 1/4 tsp), and dash in the capful of cooking wine. This action will probably induce a flame for a quick half a second. Stir well and add 1/4 cup of chicken broth and 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water. Add 2 tsp of oyster sauce, 1 tsp of dark soy sauce, and 1 tsp of sugar. Stir well.

Continue stirring until the mixture starts boiling. Use some corn starch slurry (e.g. 1 tsp corn starch dissolved in 1/8 cup of water) to thicken the sauce until you obtain the right consistency. Not too thick, not too runny.

Re-add the chicken and vegetables into the pan. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Keep stirring.

When finished, pour the resulting mixture onto the noodles. The essence of this dish is to let the boiling hot sauce moisten and soften up the dry pan-fried noodles when served.

The finished dish.

Note: If you prefer other types of meat, this dish is great with beef, shrimp, BBQ pork, and pork slices.

Edited October 22, 2005 by hzrt8w (log)

[Jason Perlow]

Oh man do I want some of those now.

[Transparent]

hzrt, I have gone back to lurking, but I have to say this: I love you.

[Pan]

Wow, that looks terrific!

[wesza]

Ah Leung:

I realize that your only up to "18" Recipes with Photos but I envision the future.

I see "eGullet" readers ordering items like "Cashew Chicken" Or "HK Style Chicken Fried Noodles" or any other items you've prepared.

Next step I anticipate them comparing the dish delivered with your Photo Postings and after comparing the item:

"NOT BEING HAPPY ABOUT WHAT THEY RECEIVED"

I also imaging your "Photograph" being displayed any almost every Restaurant with some sort of bounty being offered about any information provided.

This could become a problem since there are only a few places that actually make comparable dishes. Eventually they may have to bring their dishes up the your standards or they will start to serve, "HRZT8W" certified dishes for a additional charge. [paying a royalty to Ah Leung & eGullet]

With my pre-cognition I not only caused the problem but also resolved it amicably.

Now you can understand about "Trouble Shooting".

Irwin

[spaghetttti]

^

^

^

What they said!

[hzrt8w]

Transparent: LOL! Sounds like you have been wanting to make this dish for a long time!

[rjwong]

Not bad, hzrt8w. You should have tried my late father's version.

I noticed that you didn't boil the noodles before you pan fried. That's the version I grew up eating. I might have to try it that way. It sure would save me the extra step of boiling the noodles.

If you would, I'll have two orders of #18, please. Both with chicken, beef & shrimp combined ...

[hzrt8w]

Russell: Some people do boil the noodles first, drain then pan-fry like you said. Especially true if the noodles are the dry types. But if the noodles are fresh enough (soft to the touch, kept in the refrigerator), they may not need to be par-boiled. Most Hong Kong chefs throw them directly to the hot oil bath. Cooking it this way at home, the main trick is to make sure all the noodles get browned (slightly crispy) - or else the noodles will taste "raw".

[hzrt8w]

.....I also imaging your "Photograph" being displayed any almost every Restaurant with some sort of bounty being offered about any information provided.

.....With my pre-cognition I not only caused the problem but also resolved it amicably.

←

Thank you for your compliment, Irwin! Is that what you do for a living? Bounty hunting?

I wonder how much the reward would go up to? I might be easy to spot, too: I might be the only Chinese who cooks using a pan instead of a wok! I may need to move, fast!

Edited October 22, 2005 by hzrt8w (log)

[wesza]

.....I also imaging your "Photograph" being displayed any almost every Restaurant with some sort of bounty being offered about any information provided.

.....With my pre-cognition I not only caused the problem but also resolved it amicably.

←

Thank you for your compliment, Irwin! Is that what you do for a living? Bounty hunting?

I wonder how much the reward would go up to? I may need to move, fast!

←

Ah Leung:

I'm not sure what I do has anything to do with a "Bounty" it's something that could be caused by you doing the exceptional things that you share with all of us on eGullet. Since eGullet is on a growth curve it will become more influential on Restaurants so they will follow reasonable recommendations for mutual success.

What I do resolve situations to the benefit of everyone IE: eGullet and you receive royalty's the rest of us pay a small gratuity to receive comparable dishes from purveyors who acquire your standards making it easier for all the enjoy. Standards are set by your photo's of the anticipated dish.

Is there anyone who would object to paying a small charge to receive any dishes pictured on this pictorial thread as posted ? "DELIVERED" !

Irwin [what price immediate gratification ?]

Edited October 22, 2005 by wesza (log)

[jo-mel]

Ah Leung:

---------"HRZT8W" certified dishes ----------

wesza ------ Loved your post, but the above phrase really got to me!!!!!! LOL! We can all say that we were in on it at the beginning!

[jo-mel]

These noodles look great, hzrt!

Are they the ones that feel semi dry in the package?

[Dejah]

I should NEVER check this thread so early in the morning...Would I be crazy to make this for breakfast!? Ok, send me 2 orders, please!

My daughter China is looking over my shoulders and says, "You're the best! Ah Leung Sook!" She's a white chicken meat eater too. She likes the noodles crispy, so I usually save some aside before I pour on the meat/veg sauce.

[danjou]

Hi hzrt8w,

looking at your wonderful pictures I can't stop " loaw hao suey "...

I just want to add that for many chefs, the reason for parboiling and rinsing in cold water, aside from precooking, is to remove a bit of the unpleasant kansui or lye water smell and residue from alkaline salts like potassium or ammonium Bicarbonate so commonly found in this type of fresh noodle.

I know for a fact that because of stricter government regulations, the wonderful thin wonton noodles in the USA contain less lye water than in Asia, so the smell is not as marked. But out here, although the noodles are chewier and have more bite because of the higher amount of lye water, the smell is also stronger, therefore the precooking and rinsing is important.

Nowadays, because of time limitations and the need to cook many dishes during the lunch and dinner hours, many chefs do not pan fry in this wonderful, classic manner you have described , which as you know is called "leung been wong", or "two sides golden". Instead, the noodles are merely thrown into hot oil and deep fried, which just does not taste as good as noodles cooked in the way you have shown above.

There is something wonderful about the slightly charred, crispy and soft textures and flavor of noodles made in this pan frying method so sorely missing in deep fried noodles.

cheers

[Dejah]

Hi hzrt8w,

There is something wonderful about the slightly charred, crispy and soft textures and flavor of noodles made in this pan frying method so sorely missing in deep fried noodles.

←

What's great about pan-frying the noodles is that the outer layer is crispy, but the noodles underneath are soft and will soak up some of the sauce. This makes for great textural contrast.

When I cook the noodles, I like to sprinkle in some sesame oil at the last minute. Some of my customers used to order just noodles for a snack.

[hzrt8w]

Are they the ones that feel semi dry in the package?

←

Yes, jo-mel. They are semi-dry, still soft, and usually are kept in the refrigerator section.

[hzrt8w]

I just want to add that for many chefs, the reason for parboiling and rinsing in cold water, aside from precooking,  is to remove a bit of the unpleasant kansui or lye water smell and residue from alkaline salts like potassium or ammonium Bicarbonate so commonly found in this type of fresh noodle....

←

Thanks for the tip, danjou. The noodle package that I bought did not have the unpleasant kansui or ammonia smell fortunately. That's a very good point. Perhaps we should parboil the noodles first. But if we do that, the noodles would not be as crispy. A trade off.

[jo-mel]

Are they the ones that feel semi dry in the package?

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Yes, jo-mel. They are semi-dry, still soft, and usually are kept in the refrigerator section.

←

Got it! I've used them. But they are fairly new --- if the last 10 years, more or less, are considered newish. In restaurants, the pan/fried (Two sides yellow) noodles were the regular cooked noodles used for lo mien and the like. Then, all of a sudden, these noodles were on the market and were called Hong Kong noodles. Some were pretty good, and some were kinda uncooked tasting. In my classes Ive used both, and the people liked the ease in using the Hong Kong type.

I'm still partial to the regular noodle, but whatever noodle is served to this noodle-gal, she will chow down!

[hzrt8w]

Got it!  I've used them. But they are fairly new --- if the last 10 years, more or less, are considered newish. In restaurants, the pan/fried (Two sides yellow) noodles were the regular cooked noodles used for lo mien and the like. Then, all of a sudden, these noodles were on the market and were called Hong Kong noodles.  Some were pretty good, and some were kinda uncooked tasting. In my classes Ive used both, and the people liked the ease in using the Hong Kong type.

←

"Lo Mein"! Ah... Thanks for bringing up another confusing terminology besides the bean sauce!

The "Lo Mein" in Hong Kong is the boiled egg noodles with oyster sauce poured on top, served with a small bowl of wonton broth on the side.

The "Lo Mein" as Hong Kongers know it do not exist in the US Chinese restaurants, except in those who cater to Hong Kongers.

The "Lo Mein" offered in the American-Chinese restaurants refer to what's closest to "Soy Sauce Chow Mein" in Hong Kong.

The "Chow Mein" as Hong Kongers know it is called "Pan-Fried Noodles", or "Leung Mein Wong" (Two Sides Yellow) in the US Chinese restaurants.

The "Chow Mein" offered in some American-Chinese restaurants refer to what's... well, there is not quite an equivalent in Hong Kong or China. How do you describe a dish of "stir-fried meat with vegetables" with broken deep-fried thick wheat noodles laid on the top? We just don't have such a dish.

Edited October 26, 2005 by hzrt8w (log)

[Dejah]

hrt,

In "lo mein", what does the character for "lo" mean? When it is said in Cantonese, I assumed it meant "mix together"?

When I make this, I use soft egg noodles. These are mixed together with bean sprouts, thinly sliced vegetables like suey choi, onion, celery. In the restaurant, we added carrot juliennes for colour.

[hzrt8w]

In "lo mein", what does the character for "lo" mean? When it is said in Cantonese, I assumed it meant "mix together"?

←

Yes, the character "lo" [Cantonese] indeed means "to mix together".

[hzrt8w]

I just want to show you all an outtake photo when making this dish. The photo was not taken very well because things happened too fast. I did not include it in the original pictorial.

This shows that a flame, which can be up to 10 inch long, can be induced by dashing in a capful of Shao Hsing cooking wine into a pan of fuming hot oil. But it would only last for a fraction of a second. (Have your fire extinguisher handy in case things don't go well! )

Edited October 27, 2005 by hzrt8w (log)

[I_call_the_duck]

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Fire! Cool. heh-heh.

Ah Leung, I'm surprised you were able to snap a picture. I think most chefs advise taking the pan off the flame before adding alcohol, but I usually ignore it. The last time that happened to me (I think I was adding tequila to chicken), I was torn between admiring the flame and freaking out about burning my house down. Better have a backup the next time.

(Edited to add:) The finished product of course, looked delicious.

Edited October 27, 2005 by I_call_the_duck (log)

[jo-mel]

Wok hei in action!!!!!