Ingredients For the chicken & marinade:
12 ounces boneless skinless chicken breast (or boneless skinless chicken thighs, thinly sliced)
1½ tablespoons water
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine (or dry cooking sherry)
1 teaspoon neutral oil (such as vegetable, canola, or avocado oil)
For the rest of the dish:
8 ounces fresh thin Hong-Kong-Style Pan-fried Noodles
1 tablespoon hot water
¼ teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
½ teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine (divided)
⅛ teaspoon white pepper
⅛ teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons neutral oil (such as vegetable, canola, or avocado oil)
2 teaspoons fresh ginger (finely julienned)
1 clove garlic (chopped)
½ small carrot (julienned)
⅔ cup fresh mushrooms (or dried Shiitake mushrooms, soaked for 2 hours in hot water and sliced)
1 cup snap peas (or snow peas)
1 cup mung bean sprouts
2 scallions (finely julienned)
Instructions
Velvet the Chicken:
Combine the sliced chicken with the water, oyster sauce, cornstarch, Shaoxing wine, and oil. Massage the chicken until it absorbs all the liquid and is uniformly coated.
Pre-boil the Chow Mein Noodles:
Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil in your wok or a large pot, and cook the noodles for 1 minute. Drain through a colander, rinse in cold water, and spread the noodles out to drain further.
Make the Sauce Mixture:
In a small bowl, mix the hot water and sugar until the sugar dissolves, then add the light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sesame oil, oyster sauce, 2 teaspoons of Shaoxing wine, white pepper, and salt. Set aside.
Fry the Noodles:
Heat your wok over medium-high heat, and add 2 tablespoons of oil to coat. Spread the noodles in a thin, even layer, tilting the wok in a circular motion to distribute the oil and crisp the bottom layer of the noodles evenly. Let the noodles cook for about 2 minutes, and adjust the heat as needed—lower if the noodles start to scorch or higher to brown the noodles. The wok should not be smoking, or the noodles will burn.
Flip the noodles over, and add another tablespoon of oil around the perimeter of the wok to crisp the other side. Don’t stress if you can’t turn the noodles over in one shot. The goal here is just to get an even, light crispiness during this cooking stage. After 90 seconds, flip the noodles again and you should start to see a light browning of the noodles, with some areas where the noodles are crispier. Cook for another 2 minutes, and transfer them to a plate.
Sear the Chicken:
Heat wok over high heat until it’s just smoking, and spread the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil around the perimeter. Add chicken in one layer, and sear for 30 seconds on one side. Flip and sear for another 30 seconds. Stir-fry the chicken for another 20 seconds; it should be about 80% cooked. Remove the chicken from the wok, leaving behind any oil.
Finish the Dish:
Over medium heat, add the julienned ginger to the oil, and let it cook for about 15 seconds. Next, add the garlic, mushrooms, and carrots, and stir-fry for 1 minute.
Increase the heat to high, and add the noodles, snap peas, and chicken (along with any juices). Drizzle the sauce mixture over the top. Quickly stir-fry the noodles with a lifting motion until the sauce is well-incorporated—about 30-45 seconds.
Toss in the bean sprouts and scallions, and stir-fry everything for another minute. The wok should be at its hottest now to help you achieve that wok hei flavor. Cook just until the scallions wilt—the bean sprouts should still be somewhat fresh and crunchy. Serve!