Chicken Chow Mein

Chicken Chow Mein

(In China, Chow Mein is made with soft noodles.
For crispy Chow Mein noodles, add more oil
than the recipe calls for and cook the noodles
longer to dry them out. You can substitute
shrimp or pork for the chicken)

Serves 4 to 6

1 pound chicken meat (or pork or shrimp)
1 cup celery
1 pound bok choy or broccoli
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/2 pound dry won ton noodles
1 pound bean sprouts or snow pea pods
1 medium onion, sliced
1 green onion, diced along the diagonal
1 carrot, sliced (optional)
1 red pepper, sliced (optional)

Seasonings for Chicken:
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 - 2 teaspoons oyster sauce
salt, pepper to taste
1 small piece (less than 1 teaspoon) of
cornstarch
Gravy:
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 cup water
Salt, accent (if desired) and pepper to taste

Pre-preparation: Wash the bean sprouts to
give them more time to drain.

Preparation: Boil noodles in salted boiling
water until they are soft, but not sticky.

(Break the noodles in half if desired so
they are easier to manage). Blanch the noodles
in cold water and drain.*

Cut the chicken into thin strips. Add seasoning
ingredients to chicken, adding cornstarch last.

Marinate chicken in seasonings for 10 - 15 minutes.

While chicken is marinating, prepare vegetables.
Cut the bok choy diagonally into 1/2 inch thick
slices, slice mushrooms.

If substituting broccoli for bok choy, peel the
stalks until no more strings come out, and slice
thinly on the diagonal.

Heat the frying pan on high, add 2 tablespoons
of oil and fry the noodles in small portions
until they are golden.

Use chopsticks to separate the noodles as they
are frying. Remove the noodles. Add more oil
and add the meat and onion to the pan.

Stir-fry until the meat has no redness.

Remove from wok or pan.

Cook the rest of the vegetables separately,
adding a bit of salt if desired to taste.
(With the bean sprouts and bok choy add
a bit of sugar as well if desired). If
desired, add about 1/4 cup of water and
cover pan while cooking bok choy, as it
doesn't contain much moisture.

Give the gravy a quick restir. Add all the
ingredients back into the wok, making a
"well" in the middle if the wok for the
gravy. Mix well. Add green onions at this point
if desired, or save them for a garnish.

Pour the mixture on top of the noodles.

Garnish the chow mein with sesame seeds.

Serve hot.

*If using fresh noodles, still boil them in
hot water as this removes some of the starch
and makes stir-frying easier.