Recipe: Ken's Chicken Chow Mein

Chicken represents fortune in the Chinese New Lunar Year.

Based on chef Ken Hom's delicious recipe for Chicken Chow Mein. Because we are such a meat-eating nation I doubled the amount of chicken plus served it with cashew nuts to bring good fortune in the New Year.

Noodles:
200-250g dried egg noodles

1 tbsp sesame oil

Marinade:
1 tsp sesame oil

2 tsp each: light soy sauce, Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry

Salt and white pepper to taste

Stir-fry:
200g skinned and boned chicken breasts

2 tbsp rice bran oil

1 tbsp chopped garlic

50g-100g snow peas or long beans, julienned

50g ham, julienned

2 tsp each: light soy sauce, dark soy sauce

1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry

Salt and white pepper to taste

1/2 tsp sugar

3 tbsp finely sliced spring onions or chives

1-2 tbsp sesame oil

Method:
Cook the noodles in a large pan of boiling water until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain well then toss together with the sesame oil.

Meanwhile, combine the ingredients for the marinade in a bowl. Julienne the chicken, cutting it into strips about 5cm long. Place in the bowl and marinate for at least 10 minutes.

Heat a wok on high. Add 1 tbsp of rice bran oil. When hot, drain the chicken and stir-fry in batches until cooked, about 2 minutes. Remove and place aside. Wipe the wok clean.

Heat the remaining rice bran oil. Stir-fry the garlic for 10 seconds. Add the peas or beans and the ham. Stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the noodles, soy sauces, rice wine, salt, pepper, sugar and spring onions or chives. Stir-fry for 2 minutes. Return the chicken and any juices to the wok. Stir-fry for about 3 minutes, until cooked and hot. Add the sesame oil to taste.

Great served topped with toasted cashew nuts. Serves 2 as a main course or 4 as part of a Chinese meal.

Tip: Shaoxing rice wine. It is pronounced "show (as in 'how') shing." Prepared from glutinous rice, it is aromatic and inexpensive. You can substitute a dry sherry but for me Shaoxing rice wine is an essential ingredient. It is available from Asian food stores and some supermarkets.