Chicken on crispy noodles
A flavourful dish that can be whipped together in no time, perfect for a speedy supper.
Ingredients
For the chicken
- 225g/8oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
- 1 free-range egg white
- 2 tsp cornflour
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground white pepper
For the crispy noodles
- 225g/8oz fresh thin egg noodles (substitute dried egg noodles if unavailable)
- 300ml/10fl oz groundnut or vegetable oil
- 175g/6oz fresh beansprouts
- 2 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 300ml/10½fl oz chicken stock
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp cornflour, mixed with 1½ tbsp water
- 3 tbsp finely chopped spring onions, to garnish
Method
For the chicken, place the chicken strips into a bowl and add the egg white, cornflour, salt and freshly ground white pepper. Mix well until the chicken is evenly coated, then cover the bowl with cling film and chill in the fridge for at least 20 minutes.
For the noodles, blanch the fresh egg noodles for 2-3 minutes in a large pan of boiling salted water, or until just tender. (If using dried egg noodles, cook according to packet instructions, reducing the cooking time by about 1-2 minutes.) Drain well and spread on a baking tray to cool.
Heat a wok until very hot and add the oil (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.). When the oil is very hot, deep-fry the noodles in batches until very crispy. Drain on kitchen paper.
When all the noodles are done remove the wok from the heat, and immediately add the chicken shreds, stirring vigorously to keep them from sticking. When the chicken pieces turn white, about 2 minutes, remove with a slotted spoon and drain.
Clean the wok and place back over a high heat. Add the beansprouts, rice wine, oyster sauce, soy sauce, chicken stock, salt, and the black pepper. Bring the mixture to the boil, reduce the heat, stir in the cornflour mixture and bring to a simmer. Return the chicken pieces to the wok and stir to coat in the sauce.
To serve, place the crispy noodles on a serving plate and spoon over the chicken and sauce. Garnish with chopped spring onions.