Vegetable Chow Mein

A chow mein made with rice noodles, rather than the more customary egg noodles.

The vegetables were marinaded in the sauce (described in a moment). The vegetables were: chopped fine beans, red pepper, onion and bamboo shoots. Plus a clove of garlic, and a couple of topped finger chillies for heat.

The sauce I used was bought from Aldi, and is made from ginger, oyster sauce, fish sauce, extract from anchovies and soya, malt and barley extract, and a little wheat to act as a thickener. You could make something like this for yourself, with the first three ingredients, some soy sauce, and some cornflour as the thickening agent.

The vegetables were cooked for ten minutes in the chow mein sauce under glass. The rice noodles were fresh, and were stir-fried in a little sunflower oil until slightly crispy (about three and a half minutes at a high heat). The noodles were decanted onto a plate covered with a spiral of soy sauce, and the vegetables were spooned on top. Delicious and quick to make!

Sea Food, with Crispy Noodles

Sea food, with squid rings, mussels and prawns, cooked in a steamer with oyster sauce. The sea food was precooked, and bought from Sainsbury's supermarket. Steamed for 12 minutes. The noodles were soaked in boiling hot water for seven minutes, drained, and then cooked in a saute pan with sunflower oil for ten minutes, to make the base of the noodles crispy. No herbs, no spices. Add a layer of dark soy to the plate before serving the crispy noodles. 

Vegetables in Hoisin & Garlic Sauce, with Crispy Noodles

Brocolli spears, chopped mushroom, red onion, red chilli, and bamboo shoots, in a hoisin and garlic sauce, served on a bed of crispy noodles. 

The vegetables were stir-fried in a little sunflower oil at a medium heat for about 15 minutes, until tender. Alternatively, the vegetables can be parboiled first, and the stir-fry time reduced. Then the sauce was added to the wok, and stirred in thoroughly to the vegetables. Allow to cook under glass for another four to five minutes. 

The crispy noodles were prepared first, by soaking in boiled water for five minutes. Drained, and allowed to dry a little. Then they were decanted into a wok brushed with sunflower oil at high heat until the underside of the noodles becomes crispy (check by turning at the edges). Turn the noodles over several times over the next two minutes, then decant to the serving plate, and add the vegetables in the hoisin and garlic sauce. 

Vegetables in Hoisin & Garlic Sauce, with Crispy Noodles