Make this Americanized Chicken Chow Mein in the comfort of your own home. Be sure to make enough for all those people who love Chinese food!
3 oz. Chinese egg noodles
1/4 c. plus 2 tablespoons peanut oil
kosher salt
1/2 c. chicken broth
3 T. oyster sauce
1 1/2 T. dark soy sauce, plus more for the table
2 t. cornstarch
1 t. sugar
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into thin 2 inch long strips
1 1/2 t. dark Asian sesame oil
1 T. minced peeled fresh ginger
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 scallions, white and green minced
freshly ground black pepper
1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 stalk celery, thinly sliced on the diagonal
1 1/2 c. mix red, yellow and green peppers, seeded and cut in strips
10 dried shittake mushrooms, rehydrated, drained, and thinly sliced
2/3 c. thinly sliced canned water chestnuts
6 oz. fresh mung bean sprouts
3 c. cooked white rice, hot
Boil noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold running water. Shake colander to drain off excess water and pat dry with a towel.
Heat 1/4 cup peanut oil in a large seasoned or non-stick skillet over high heat. Add noodles, spreading them out to evenly cover the skillet, and fry, turning once, until golden brown and crispy, about 8 minutes. Break the noodles up, by stirring, towards the end of the cooking. Transfer noodles to a paper towel-lined plate and season with salt to taste. Set aside. Discard any excess oil and wipe out the pan.
Whisk chicken broth, oyster sauce, soy sauce, cornstarch, and sugar together in a small bowl; set aside. Season chicken with the dark sesame oil, salt, and pepper; set aside.
Heat the skillet over high heat. Heat the remaining peanut oil until very hot. Add ginger, garlic, and scallion and stir-fry, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add chicken and stir-fry, until lightly browned, about 1 1/2 minutes. Add onion, celery, peppers and mushrooms and stir-fry, until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Add water chestnuts and spread the ingredients to the outside of the pan to form a well in the center. Pour chicken broth mixture into the well, bring to a boil, and stir to coat the mixture. Stir in bean sprouts and remove from the heat. Season generously to taste with pepper.
Transfer to a platter and top with the fried noodles. Serve immediately with rice.