Cantonese Soy Sauce Chow Mein

J. Kenji Lopez-Alt’s Cantonese Soy Sauce Chow Mein

Watch as Kenji shows how to make Cantonese soy sauce chow mein, a simple and delicious dish that is perfect for any occasion.

We begin with Lopez-Alt boiling the noodles according to the package directions. Once the noodles are cooked, he removes them from the water and sets them aside to drain.

While the noodles are draining, Lopez-Alt prepares the other ingredients. He chops up some scallions, chives, and onions, and he mixes together a sauce made with light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, white pepper, sugar, shaoxing wine, and sesame oil.

Once all of the ingredients are prepped, Lopez-Alt heats up some oil in a wok or large skillet. He then adds the bean sprouts, noodles, and aromatics to the wok and stir-fries them until they are heated through. Finally, he adds the sauce to the wok and stirs until it is evenly distributed.

The chow mein is then ready to serve. Kenji garnishes his dish with some more scallions and chives.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound Chinese egg noodles
• 1/2 cup bean sprouts
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 2 scallions, chopped
• 2 chives, chopped
• 1 tablespoon Light soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon Dark soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine
• 1 teaspoon Sesame oil

Instructions:

1. Cook the noodles according to the package directions.
2. While the noodles are cooking, chop up the onion, scallions, and chives.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, white pepper, sugar, shaoxing wine, and sesame oil.
4. Heat up a carbon steel wok over high heat.
5. Add a tablespoon of oil to the wok.
6. Add the bean sprouts, onions, scallions, and chives to the wok and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes, or until softened.
7. Add the cooked noodles to the wok and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes, or until heated through.
8. Add the sauce to the wok and stir until it is evenly distributed.
9. Serve immediately, garnished with more scallions and chives.

Tips:

• For a crispier texture, you can stir-fry the noodles for a few minutes before adding the sauce.
• If you don’t have shaoxing wine, you can substitute dry sherry or mirin.
• You can adjust the amount of soy sauce, white pepper, and sugar to taste.
• Serve the chow mein with a side of soy sauce for dipping.

Enjoy!

This recipe can be found in the James Beard award winning book The Wok: Recipes and Techniques.