The first time I tried pan-fried noodles, I was with my Vietnamese friends having Dim Sum in New York’s Chinatown. One of my friends ordered the pan-fried noodles, and I helped myself to a serving, anticipating nothing out of the ordinary. Was I ever wrong. I couldn’t believe how good the dish was. The crispy noodles underneath a mountain of chicken and vegetables. The taste combination was unbelievable. The sauce mixed with the crunchy noodles had such surprising appeal, that the next time I went to a Chinese restaurant, I looked for pan-fried noodles on the menu. Funny thing is, you can’t really find this dish at most Chinese restaurants. Why? I have no idea. The last place I was able to find it was at a Vietnamese restaurant. And yes, I ordered it. And yes, it was fabulous.
Kid Approved. If I were to ever use the word “Yumo” in describing any kind of food (and I wouldn’t, under any circumstances), it would be for this dish. Little Boy G loves it. Licks the plate clean. He prefers that I use duck instead of chicken, but will eat the chicken, which he usually gets, just fine.
The recipe I use is pretty easy. You will need to buy EGG NOODLES, like the ones in the picture to the left. I get mine at Asian groceries, but they might also sell them in the Asian section of your supermarket.
What you’ll need:
- 1 Chicken breast cut into bite size pieces (Duck and Turkey will work, too)
- 1 roll of Egg Noodles
- Fresh veggies that your little one loves (Broccolli, carrots, celery, bok choy, baby corn, etc.–I wouldn’t recommend sweet bell peppers–they’re too sweet, which doesn’t work well with the savory sauce.)
- Pollo (Chicken) Seasoning (yes, I use this stuff for everything)
- Water
- Corn Starch
- 2 TBsp Butter
Here’s what you do:
Boil some water.
The Poultry:
Melt butter in a sauce pan. (You don’t HAVE to use butter, but it makes any sauce so much better. If you’d rather not use it, simply use enough olive oil or Pam, or whatever, to cook the poultry and veggies.)
Add the poultry. Cook thoroughly.
Mix half a cup water with some cornstarch and pour it in the sauce pan.
Add two TBsp Pollo seasong to the poultry mixture. Stir well. Taste. It should be savory but not too salty. If it’s too thick add more water and taste again. Add more seasoning if necessary. If it’s too thin add more water/cornstarch mixture, and then taste again. Etc.
Add the vegetables and let simmer.
The Egg Noodles:
Add the egg noodles to the boiling water. Stir to loosen the noodles once they’re soft enough. Cook until soft, about five or seven minutes.
Drain the noodles and let them dry on a few paper towells. Dab the top of the noodles with another paper towell to remove most of the moisture.
In a skillet, heat two TBsps vegetable or canola oil.
Using a wide spatula, gather the noodles and place them in the very hot skillet. Spread them out so they look like a flat disk.
Turn the noodles over when the bottom side turns golden brown. Add a little more oil if you need to–not too much–and fry the other side of the noodles until cruncy, golden brown.
Serve It:
Remove the noodles from the skillet and place on paper towells if you want to remove some of the grease. Then place on a plate and add the poultry/veggie mixture, ensuring that you get a lot of the savory, tasty sauce. Let your little one use chopsticks with dish, and be sure to help them cut the noodles as that might be a little tricky for them.
Yum….er, Delicious!!
A Table for 4 