With the words “chow mein” in the name, I expected there to be noodles involved. I expected it to be something like this dish of pan fried noodles and chicken or this homestyle Chicken Chow Mein. What I got,a dish of soggy vegetables and bland chicken with a sparse sprinkling of stale fried noodles on top, was decidedly disappointing. However, we’ve had a few requests for the old school chicken chow mein dish, and my dad’s knowledge of Americanized takeout cooking made it an easy addition to the repertoire. After trying it for a second time, I warmed up to it a bit. If done right, it’s simple and satisfying. To the classic Americanized chicken chow mein lovers out there, this one’s for you.
American Takeout Chicken Chow Mein with Crispy Noodles: Recipe Instructions
These Chinese wide egg noodles were the closest thing I could find in our local Asian grocery store to the fresh noodles we used to fry in the restaurant years ago. The noodles were generally wider and without any color, but these worked out just fine. You can also buy egg roll skins and cut them into strips to make the crispy fried noodles.
Heat your oil to 400 degrees in a deep medium pot. Break up the noodles with your fingers and drop them in the oil a handful at a time.
Use a pair of heatproof chopsticks or a long fork to break up the noodles and prevent them from sticking together. Fry until golden brown. You can see from the picture why I said to use a deep pot. The pot has about 2 inches of oil in it, but once the noodles went in, the oil bubbles up almost to the top of the pot. Be careful when frying like this and start with a small batch until you get a “feel”for it. Safety first – always.
You may need to flip/move the noodles so they brown evenly. Drain on a paper towel and let cool. Repeat until all noodles are done and set aside. These crispy freshly fried noodles are addictive so make enough to snack on while you’re cooking or you won’t have any left for the dish! Better yet, if you’re going retro and making this dish, then serve a bowlful of these with some duck sauce (sweet plum sauce) as an appetizer or starter like all Chinese restaurants used to do. Better yet, try our recipes for restaurant style duck sauce and Chinese Hot mustard.
In a medium bowl, marinate the chicken with the soy sauce, sesame oil, cornstarch. Set aside while you prepare the other ingredients. When you’re ready to cook, place a wok over high heat. Add a tablespoon of oil and sear the chicken.
Remove from the wok and set aside. Add the onions and garlic to the wok and stir-fry for 30 seconds.
Then add the celery and fresh shiitake mushrooms. Stir-fry for another minute.
Add the bamboo shoots, water chestnuts (if using), napa cabbage, and baby bok choy or Shanghai bok choy.
After stir-frying for about 30 seconds, add the seared chicken, chicken stock, salt, sugar, pepper, and bean sprouts. Stir-fry until the mixture comes to a boil.
Gradually stir in the cornstarch slurry until the sauce is thick enough to coat a spoon. If you like more sauce, you can add more chicken stock and re-season. Serve over rice. Top the dish with a generous handful of fried noodles and enjoy. Nothin’ like classic American Chinese takeout food at home!
