Crispy Noodles

Okay, so the first few days of school weren't that demanding. Whew! That gave me some time to make dinner. Yay! I really enjoy the crispy noodles from Hon's, but it seems that whenever we go there it's not on the menu :( What's a girl to do? Make it herself, of course! I got the recipe from Singapore Cooking Vol. 2 by Mrs. Leong Yee Soo. The book is amazing, 26 years old but still aiding me in my quest to become a Nonya expert (I wish!). So, here's the recipe...

Crispy Noodles
Adapted from Mrs. Leong Yee Soo's Singapore Cooking

Ingredients:

- 600g chicken, cut into cubes (recipe calls for prawns)

- 1/4 tsp salt (recipe calls for msg)

- 1 tsp ginger

- 1 chicken cube

- 2 tbsp oil

- 200g dry egg noodles

- oil for frying

- 4 tbsp lard

- 6 slices ginger

- 1tsp pounded garlic

- 4 dry Chinese mushrooms (soaked/sliced)

- 285g Chinese mustard greens (cut into 3cm lengths)

- 455ml chicken stock

Seasoning:

- 1 tbsp soya sauce

- 1 tbsp oyster sauce

- 1/2 tsp sugar

- 1 tsp salt (recipe calls for msg)

- 1/2 tsp sesame oil

- 4 tbsp water + 2 tbsp cornstarch for thickening

Method:

1. Place chicken cubes in bowl and season with salt and minced ginger.

2. Prepare noodles by bringing 565ml of water to a boil with one chicken cube and 2 tbsp oil. Put in noodles and cook till noodles separate and become soft (approx. 3-4mins). Pour noodles in colander, immerse in cold water and drain immediately in a steel colander. Allow to cool and dry for 1/2 hour before frying.

3. Heat aluminum/iron wok till hot; pour in oil and heat until hot. Put in noodles, a little at a time according to the amount of oil in the pan. Fry till crispy and light brown. Scoop out with wire ladle on to absorbent paper. Keeps the noodles warm.

4. Heat iron wok till very hot. Heat 3 tbsp lard and fry ginger and garlic until brown. Add mushrooms and mustard stalks and fry. Add mustard leaves (I also add a variety of other vegetables to this dish), chicken stock and seasoning. Bring to a boil.

5. Arrange the chicken over the leaves, cover pan and cook over high heat for 5 minutes (until chicken is cooked). Remove lid, gradually pour in the thickening, stirring as you pour. Lower heat, wait for sauce to boil once again and add the last tbsp of lard. Transfer noodles to serving plate, pour sace over noodles. Serve hot.

My sisters quite enjoyed this special treat. When we eat this dish at Hon's we usually end up fighting for the crispy noodle, leaving the "soggy"-sauce-soaked noodles behind. But when I served it, I placed the sauce on the side. That way, they could control the soggy-ness of the noodles. Yum! Well, it seems the upcoming week is going to be a busy one for me. Don't think I'll plan on making anything. Bye for now!