Fried Noodles

[doronin]

Hi,

I have already asked this question on a general foods forum, and was redirected to here.

I'm new to Chinese cooking, and I'm looking for instructions on how to prepare Chinese fried noodles. I've seen few recipes of chow mein, but it seems I'm looking for something else… or may be just less common variety of the dish.

In Canadian Chinese restaurants, when ordering some "that-style-meat-in-some-sauce", I could usually ask for "fried noodles" (it was always on the menu) as a kind of a side dish, and was served with pretty much the same thing – somewhat chewy fried noodles, with nothing but spring onions on top. There was no any sauce on top either, though the noodles were coated (fried in it, I guess) in some dark sauce based on soy, sesame oil, and something else. It always had lovely smoky touch, which I couldn't reproduce.

Does anyone recognize what kind of dish is it, and may advise me with recipe?

I apologize for my ignorance on the subject

Thanks,

Dmitry.

[Ben Hong]

What kind of noodles? What shape of noodles? Were they deep fried or stir fried? Were they in "pancake" shape or loose?.....

Simple "generic" stir fried noodles using plain old al dente spaghetti, vermicelli, fettucine, Shanghai noodles, wonton egg noodles,etc., all cooked or blanched :

Have at hand: blanched or cooked noodles, minced garlic, chopped green onions, oil, light and dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, salt, sesame oil.

Heat large fry pan or wok to smoking point, add a few drops of oil, so the noodles don't stick. Maintain very high heat until the end.

Add a few bits of minced garlic, throw in the noodles, stir.

Add a few drops of dark soy and a few drops of light soy sauce, and a tablespoon of oyster sauce. Stir well until noodles are heated through.

Add some green onions and 3 or 4 drops of sesame oil. Stir. Serve.

May I recommend a Chinese cooking lesson?

Edited March 8, 2006 by Ben Hong (log)

[doronin]

Thanks Ben.

"What kind of noodles" - this is what I'd like to ask, what kinds of noodles are typically used for that?

Do you know if that subtle smoky flavor is a result of just a high heat treatment, or it is oyster sauce? I just don't see any other factors would contribute to that...

As for Chinese cooking lesson - I'd be happy to take it, but there are no many Chinese people here in Israel, so it is quite a problem to find something genuine.

[Ben Hong]

Use any of the noodles I mentioned but if yoyu really want to duplicate the restaurants version, ask the cook.

As for smokey flavour, I don't know. Sesame oil has a rich intense "nutty" flavour which some call "smokey".

Edited March 8, 2006 by Ben Hong (log)

[Toliver]

Use any of the noodles I mentioned but if yoyu really want to duplicate the restaurants version, ask the cook.

As for smokey flavour, I don't know. Sesame oil has a rich intense "nutty" flavour which some call "smokey".

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Is it possible that the smokey flavor could have been from the "wok hay" (sp?)?

[Dejah]

Use any of the noodles I mentioned but if yoyu really want to duplicate the restaurants version, ask the cook.

As for smokey flavour, I don't know. Sesame oil has a rich intense "nutty" flavour which some call "smokey".

←

Is it possible that the smokey flavor could have been from the "wok hay" (sp?)?

←

Yes to the wok hay, and yes to the sesame oil for smoky flavour.

I use egg noodles, either the steamed fresh noodles, or the dried ones blanched in hot water. Make sure the noodles are al dente to maintain the chewy texture.

[hzrt8w]

[...]Do you know if that subtle smoky flavor is a result of just a high heat treatment, or it is oyster sauce? I just don't see any other factors would contribute to that...

[...]

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This pictorial recipe may be what you are looking for:

Soy Sauce Chow Mein with Chicken (豉油王鸡丝抄麺 )

The smokey flavor is from dashing in ShaoHsing cooking wine in a hot work with fuming cooking oil, which induces a flame.

When cooking in this style, I pour the dark soy sauce onto the flaming wok/pan before I add the noodles, not pour the dark soy sauce onto the noodles. That's how they make it in restaurants.

[Dejah]

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When cooking in this style, I pour the dark soy sauce onto the flaming wok/pan before I add the noodles, not pour the dark soy sauce onto the noodles. That's how they make it in restaurants.

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Really? Only in Sacramento, you say...

[Ben Hong]

When cooking in this style, I pour the dark soy sauce onto the flaming wok/pan before I add the noodles, not pour the dark soy sauce onto the noodles.  That's how they make it in restaurants.

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Hmmm.... dark soy with good sugar content meets very hot oil...you either get a smokey flavour or black burnt bits. In my/our restaurants we did not do that.

[hzrt8w]

Hmmm.... dark soy with good sugar content meets very hot oil...you either get a smokey flavour or black burnt bits. In my/our restaurants we did not do that.

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This step is done very quickly, just within 1 to 2 seconds. One can follow the steps outline in this pictorial, and then do it the other way and taste the difference.

[jo-mel]

Could that be done with fried rice, too --- for a smoky taste? Would it change the color of the rice too much, I wonder. I like fried rice light in color.