The Everything Stir-Fry Cookbook Part 22

Shanghai Noodles You can experiment with the flavors in this dish by subst.i.tuting white or red rice vinegar for the red wine vinegar.

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1. In a large pot, bring 3 quarts of water to a boil with 1 teaspoons salt. Add the noodles and cook until they are firm but tender.

2. In a small bowl, combine the chicken broth, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, red wine vinegar, and sugar. Set aside.

3. Heat a wok or skillet over medium-high heat until it is nearly smoking. Add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes. Stir-fry for 10 seconds, then add the onion. Stir-fry the onion for about 2 minutes, until it begins to soften. Add the Napa cabbage. Stir-fry for 1 minute, sprinkling with teaspoon salt. Add the red bell pepper. Stir-fry for another minute, stirring in 1 to 2 tablespoons water or soy sauce if the vegetables begin to dry out.

4. Add the noodles into the wok or skillet. Stir-fry for a minute, then add the sauce. Bring to a boil. Stir-fry for 1 to 2 more minutes to heat through. Serve hot.

Serves 3 to 4 2 teaspoons salt, divided pound dried Chinese egg noodles or linguini cup chicken broth 5 tablespoons light soy sauce 3 tablespoons dark soy sauce 5 tablespoons red wine vinegar tablespoon granulated sugar 2 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil 1 teaspoon minced garlic teaspoon minced ginger teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional medium onion, chopped 2 cups shredded Napa cabbage leaves 1 cup chopped red bell pepper 12 tablespoons additional water or light soy sauce, if needed

Serves 2 to 4 pound dried egg noodles 1 tablespoon Asian sesame oil teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon granulated sugar cup vegetable or peanut oil Homemade Chow Mein Noodles This recipe is also called noodle pancake or twice-browned noodles, but whatever the name, these fried noodles go well with a chow mein recipe such as Tomato Beef Chow Mein (page 217). Just pour the stir-fried meat and vegetables over the noodles.

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1. In a large pot, bring 2 quarts of water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook until they are firm but tender. Drain the noodles and stir in the Asian sesame oil, salt, and sugar. Allow the noodles to dry in a colander for 1 hour.

2. Heat a large flat skillet over medium-high heat until it is nearly smoking. Add cup oil. When the oil is hot, carefully slide the dried noodles into the pan, spreading them out so that they cover the entire pan. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until the noodles are browned on the bottom. Turn the heat down to medium if the pan starts smoking.

3. Turn the noodle pancake over and brown on the other side (it should take less time to brown the bottom side). Slide the noodle pancake out of the pan. Use a knife to cut the noodle pancake into the number of serving portions needed.

How to Cook a Noodle Pancake Draining the noodles in a large colander for about an hour before cooking will cause them to naturally form into a pancake shape. Use a spatula to slide the noodles from the colander into the pan. To brown the bottom side of a noodle pancake, slide the noodle pancake out of the pan onto a large plate, invert it onto another plate, and slide it back into the pan. Draining the noodles in a large colander for about an hour before cooking will cause them to naturally form into a pancake shape. Use a spatula to slide the noodles from the colander into the pan. To brown the bottom side of a noodle pancake, slide the noodle pancake out of the pan onto a large plate, invert it onto another plate, and slide it back into the pan.

Sesame-Flavored Fusilli with Scallops Corkscrew-shaped fusilli pasta enhances the appearance of this simple noodle stir-fry. The pasta stays pleasantly chewy and the sauce sticks to it well.

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1. In a large pot, bring 2 quarts of water to a boil with 1 teaspoon salt. Add the noodles and cook until they are firm but tender. Drain the noodles.

2. Rinse the scallops in cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. Toss the scallops with teaspoon salt. In a small bowl, combine the water, dark soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil. Set aside.

3. Heat a wok or skillet over medium-high heat until it is nearly smoking. Add 2 tablespoons oil. When the oil is hot, add the garlic. Stir-fry for 10 seconds, then add the zucchini. Stir-fry for a minute, then stir in the soy sauce. Add the tomato. Stir-fry until the zucchini turns dark green and is tender but still crisp (about 3 minutes). Remove the vegetables and drain in a colander or on paper towels.

4. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in the wok or skillet. When the oil is hot, add the ginger. Stir-fry for 10 seconds, then add the scallops. Stir-fry the scallops until they turn white and are just starting to firm up. Add the noodles and the sauce. Stir in the black pepper.

5. Add the vegetables back into the pan. Stir-fry for 1 to 2 more minutes to heat everything through. Taste and adjust seasoning if desired. Serve hot.

Serves 2 to 4 1 teaspoons salt, divided pound fusilli pasta pound bay scallops 6 tablespoons water 1 tablespoons dark soy sauce 1 tablespoons rice vinegar 1 teaspoons Asian sesame oil 3 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil, divided 1 teaspoon minced garlic 1 zucchini, chopped on the diagonal into -inch slices 1 tablespoon light soy sauce 1 tomato, halved and thinly sliced teaspoon minced ginger Black pepper to taste

Serves 2 to 4 1 teaspoons salt, divided pound fresh Chinese or Italian egg noodles pound lean pork 1 tablespoons light soy sauce 2 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil, divided Black pepper to taste cup chicken broth cup oyster sauce 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce 2 tablespoons rice wine or dry sherry 1 teaspoon granulated sugar 2 cloves garlic, chopped 2 thin slices ginger, chopped 2 cups chopped bok choy 1 red bell pepper, cubed 1 cup mung bean sprouts Additional water, if needed Oyster-Flavored Pork with Noodles Bok choy and red bell pepper add extra color to this tasty dish, and the sauce flavors the egg noodles wonderfully.

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1. In a large pot, bring 2 quarts of water to a boil with 1 teaspoon salt. Add the noodles and cook until they are firm but tender. Drain the noodles.

2. Cut the pork into cubes. Place the pork in a medium bowl and add the light soy sauce, 1 teaspoons vegetable oil, and pepper. Marinate the pork for 20 minutes. Combine the chicken broth with the oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, rice wine or sherry, and the sugar in a bowl. Set aside.

3. Heat a wok or skillet over medium-high heat until it is nearly smoking. Add 2 tablespoons oil. When the oil is hot, add the garlic and ginger. Stir-fry for 10 seconds, then add the pork. Stir-fry for 2 minutes or until the pork is no longer pink and is nearly cooked.

4. Push the pork to the sides of the wok or skillet and add the bok choy in the middle. Stir-fry the bok choy for 1 minute, sprinkling teaspoon salt over the top. Add the red bell pepper. Add the mung bean sprouts. Stir-fry for another minute or until the bok choy turns bright green. Splash the vegetables with water if they begin to dry out during stir-frying.

5. Add the noodles. Stir-fry briefly, then add the sauce. Stir-fry for 1 to 2 more minutes to heat everything through. Serve hot.

Pasta Versus Noodles While pasta is normally made with durum wheat flour (with or without egg) and comes in an endless variety of shapes, a noodle is a long, ribbonlike piece of dough that can be made of everything from wheat flour to rice flour. So, while Chinese egg noodles can correctly be called pasta, the translucent cellophane noodles found in Hoisin-Flavored Cellophane Noodles (page 218) cannot. While pasta is normally made with durum wheat flour (with or without egg) and comes in an endless variety of shapes, a noodle is a long, ribbonlike piece of dough that can be made of everything from wheat flour to rice flour. So, while Chinese egg noodles can correctly be called pasta, the translucent cellophane noodles found in Hoisin-Flavored Cellophane Noodles (page 218) cannot.

Shrimp Chow Mein If you don't have leftover cooked ham, subst.i.tute 4 ounces of lean pork, cut into thin strips, and stir-fry it separately. Don't increase the amount of shrimp, as its strong flavor can overpower the other ingredients.

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1. In a large pot, bring 2 quarts of water to a boil with 1 teaspoon salt. Add the noodles and cook until they are firm but tender. Drain the noodles.

2. Rinse the shrimp under cold running water and toss with teaspoon salt. Combine the water, oyster sauce, rice wine or sherry, and soy sauce in a bowl.

3. Heat a wok or skillet over medium-high heat until it is nearly smoking. Add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the ginger. Stir-fry for 10 seconds, then add the shrimp. Stir-fry the shrimp until they turn pink.

4. Push the shrimp to the sides of the wok or skillet. Add the mushrooms. Stir-fry for 1 minute, then add the celery and the red bell pepper. Stir-fry for another minute, until the mushrooms have darkened and the celery has turned a bright green. Splash the vegetables with 1 tablespoon soy sauce if they begin to dry out.

5. Add the noodles. Stir in the sauce and bring to a boil. Stir in the cooked ham. Stir-fry for 1 to 2 more minutes to mix everything together. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding black pepper if desired. Serve hot.

Serves 2 to 4 1 teaspoons salt, divided pound fresh egg noodles pound sh.e.l.led, deveined shrimp cup water 2 teaspoons oyster sauce 2 teaspoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry 1 teaspoon light soy sauce 3 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil 2 thin slices ginger, minced 4 ounces sliced mushrooms 1 rib celery, cut on the diagonal into -inch slices 1 red bell pepper, cubed 1 additional tablespoon soy sauce, if needed pound cooked ham, cut into chunks Black pepper to taste

Serves 2 pound flank steak 1 tablespoons ketchup 1 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 1 tablespoon soy sauce 1 tablespoons water, or as needed 1 teaspoons brown sugar 3 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil, divided 1 teaspoon minced garlic 2 shallots, peeled and chopped green bell pepper, cut into thin strips pound fresh mushrooms, thinly sliced red bell pepper, cut into thin strips 1 tablespoon liquid, if needed 2 ounces deep-fried rice vermicelli Easy Chinese Steak over Noodles Rice vermicelli noodles puff up nicely when deep-fried. However, if you don't have any on hand, you can serve the steak and vegetables with tortilla or taco chips.

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1. Cut the steak across the grain into thin strips, 1 to 2 inches long,[image] inch wide, and inch wide, and[image] inch thick. Combine the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, water, and brown sugar in a small bowl. Set aside. inch thick. Combine the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, water, and brown sugar in a small bowl. Set aside.

2. Heat a wok or skillet over medium-high heat until it is nearly smoking. Add 1 tablespoons oil. When the oil is hot, add half the garlic. Stir-fry for 10 seconds, then add the flank steak. Let sear briefly, then stir-fry the beef until it is no longer pink and is nearly cooked. Remove the beef and drain in a colander or on paper towels.

3. Heat 1 tablespoons oil in the wok or skillet. Add the remaining garlic and stir-fry for 10 seconds. Add the shallots and stir-fry briefly, until they begin to soften. Add the green bell pepper and the mushrooms. Stir-fry for a minute, then add the red bell pepper. Splash the vegetables with 1 tablespoon water or dry sherry if they begin to dry out during stir-frying.

4. Add the sauce and bring to a boil. Add the beef back into the pan. Stir-fry for 2 to 3 more minutes to blend the flavors. Serve hot over the deep-fried rice vermicelli.

How to Deep-Fry Rice Vermicelli To fry rice noodles, pour 2 inches of oil into a wok or deep-sided heavy skillet and heat to 375F. When the oil is hot, remove the noodles from the package and use tongs to lower them into the hot oil. Cook briefly (for 1 second), turn over, and cook for 1 second more. Remove the noodles and drain in a colander or on paper towels. To fry rice noodles, pour 2 inches of oil into a wok or deep-sided heavy skillet and heat to 375F. When the oil is hot, remove the noodles from the package and use tongs to lower them into the hot oil. Cook briefly (for 1 second), turn over, and cook for 1 second more. Remove the noodles and drain in a colander or on paper towels.

Asian Noodles with Meat Sauce For extra flavor, marinate the ground beef in 2 teaspoons light soy sauce and 2 teaspoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry before stir-frying.

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1. In a large pot, bring 4 quarts of water to a boil with the salt. Add the noodles and cook until they are firm but tender. Drain the noodles and arrange on a plate.

2. Combine the chicken broth, brown bean sauce, and hoisin sauce in a small bowl. Set aside.

3. Heat a wok or skillet over medium-high heat until it is nearly smoking. Add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the ginger, garlic, and the red pepper flakes.

4. Stir-fry for 10 seconds, then add the ground beef. Stir-fry the beef until it is no longer pink and is nearly cooked.

5. Add the sauce and bring to a boil. Stir in the green onion and the sugar. Stir-fry for 2 more minutes to blend the flavors. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding salt and pepper if desired. Pour the meat sauce over the noodles and serve.

Serves 3 to 4 2 teaspoons salt 1 pound Chinese egg noodles or spaghetti cup chicken broth 3 tablespoons brown bean sauce 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce 2 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil 1 teaspoon minced ginger 1 teaspoon minced garlic teaspoon red pepper flakes pound ground beef 2 tablespoons chopped green onion 1 teaspoon granulated sugar Salt and black pepper to taste

Serves 3 to 4 1 teaspoon salt pound fresh egg noodles 1 teaspoon cornstarch 2 teaspoons water 1 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil 1 teaspoon chopped garlic teaspoon chopped ginger 2 green onions, finely chopped 2 carrots, julienned 1 cup mung bean sprouts, drained 1 cup Strange Flavor Sauce (page 26) Stir-Fried Dan Dan Noodles There are many ways to make this popular Szechuan noodle dish. This recipe calls for the same sauce that is used in Strange Flavor Chicken Salad (page 42), the Szechuan take on cold chicken salad.

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1. In a large pot, bring 2 quarts of water to a boil with the salt. Add the noodles and cook until they are firm but tender. Drain the noodles.

2. In a small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch into the water.

3. Heat a wok or skillet over medium-high heat until it is nearly smoking and add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the garlic, ginger, and green onions. Stir-fry for 10 seconds, then add the carrots. Stir-fry the carrots for 1 minute, then add the mung bean sprouts. Stir-fry briefly (30 seconds to 1 minute).

4. Push the vegetables to the side and add the Strange Flavor Sauce in the middle. Bring to a boil. Stir the cornstarch and water mixture and add to the sauce, stirring quickly to thicken. Add the noodles. Stir-fry for 1 to 2 more minutes to mix the flavors together. Serve hot.

Chinese Regional Cuisine Cantonese cuisine is famed for its use of fresh ingredients and seafood, while northern Beijing cuisine is wheat-based, with a number of popular noodle dishes. Western China is home to Szechuan cuisine, famous for fiery dishes seasoned with Szechuan peppercorn and hot chili peppers. Eastern Shanghai cuisine is known for its liberal use of soy sauce and sugar and for its wide variety of seafood dishes. Cantonese cuisine is famed for its use of fresh ingredients and seafood, while northern Beijing cuisine is wheat-based, with a number of popular noodle dishes. Western China is home to Szechuan cuisine, famous for fiery dishes seasoned with Szechuan peppercorn and hot chili peppers. Eastern Shanghai cuisine is known for its liberal use of soy sauce and sugar and for its wide variety of seafood dishes.

Rice Dishes

Basic Cooked Rice

Coconut-Scented Rice

Basic Fried Rice

Basic Stir-Fried Glutinous Rice

Pina Colada Fried Rice

Spanish Rice Side Dish

Ground Beef with Broccoli and Rice

Arroz con Pollo

Super-Easy Beef in Rice

Curried Beef Fried Rice

Basic Stir-Fried Risotto

Fast and Feisty Arroz con Pollo

Rustic Vegetable Risotto

One Dish Chicken and Rice Stir-Fry

Southeast Asian Spanish Rice