Chow Mein Recipe

Pre-cooking notes and tips

• As I was saying earlier, how you prep the veggies really matters here. The carrot matchsticks need to be thin so they cook quickly. If they’re thick, the other veggies will start releasing liquid while you’re waiting for the carrots to cook. You want the veggies to stir-fry, not steam.
• You can swap in other veggies like snow peas, snap peas, baby corn, mushrooms, broccoli florets, or mung bean sprouts. Scale the amount of sauce and noodles in proportion to the quantity of veggies you use.
• Also, finish all your ingredient prep before you turn on the stove. Once you get going, you won’t have time to scramble around the kitchen gathering things. If you do that, the food will either overcook or burn.
• Everything in this recipe is cooked over high heat, so the oil you use matters. Use canola, vegetable, peanut, or corn oil, or any other cooking oil with a high smoke point. Extra virgin olive oil isn’t a good fit.
• I’ll admit, I don’t always use the fresh yellow egg noodles or chow mein noodles traditionally used for chow mein. A bit too lazy to drive 25 minutes to the Asian store just to get them, especially when everything else can be found at almost any major supermarket with an international food aisle. What I do always have in my pantry, though, are uncooked dried “egg” noodles, and they work great. I’ve used ramen noodles too, after tossing the seasoning and sauces, and spaghetti in a pinch. Dried noodles labeled chow mein or lo mein are also good options.
• Chinese cooking wine is commonly used in chow mein, but I leave it out. Instead, I add a little vinegar for acidity and a bit of sugar to balance out the savoriness. It works out perfectly.
• I prefer nonstick cookware because the chicken cooks very quickly, and if a stainless steel one isn’t hot enough, the chicken will stick. You don’t want to be fighting with it when it only needs a few minutes to cook. Make sure your pan or wok is wide enough that the food has room to spread out. If crowded, food will start steaming.
• You can use ground black pepper in place of white pepper if that’s what you have.
• I like a bit of heat, which is why I use sriracha here. That said, the amount called for doesn't make the chow mein spicy, and I’ll often throw in a little extra. But everyone’s spice tolerance is different, so use as much or as little as you prefer.
• Takeout chow mein is often darker compared to mine, because of dark soy sauce (and sometimes it's just food color). I don’t use it because I don’t usually have it at home. Have had my fair share of chow mein, and I know mine can go neck and neck with the best ones out there, so you really won’t miss it.
• You need toasted sesame oil here, not the regular kind. Toasted sesame oil is darker, sort of brownish in color vs the pale yellow regular sesame oil. The difference in aroma is noticeable, and it’s an important part of the dish, so I wouldn’t skip or substitute it.
• Friends have told me their kids enjoy this chow mein with a little ketchup mixed in. If you’ve got picky eaters, might be worth a try. But don't add a lot. Too much ketchup and the noodles will get sweet. The recipe's already got some sugar.
• I wouldn’t leave out the fresh ginger. Did that once because I didn’t have any on hand, and regretted it. The overall taste wasn’t as complex. Did you know it freezes really well? I peel it, cut it into chunks, and freeze it. Whenever I need some, I grate it straight from frozen. Actually easier that way because the fibers don’t get caught up in the grater.
• You can use chicken thighs instead of breast, though I prefer breast here because it cooks quickly. But but but, it is pretty unforgiving if you leave it unattended. It overcooks fast, so if that’s a worry, I’d go with thighs. Whichever you use, make sure the chicken is thinly sliced.