Chinese Chicken Chow Mein
About dry chow mein noodles:
When choosing dry chow mein noodles, look in the asian food section of your grocery store. Find the noodles generally sold in nests. The noodles are stiff, much stiffer than most North American made chow mein noodles available. If you pinch a noodle and it snaps but doesn't become crumby, it is the one you want. If it crumbs or falls apart, it is not a good chow mein noodle to use for this recipe.
In a pot of water, boil the nest of dry chow mein noodles 5 minutes. At 5 minutes, add the package of udon noodles. Boil for 2 minutes more. Remove, strain, and run cold water over the noodles until they are all cool to touch. Put aside.
Chop the onion and garlic.
Blanch the bean sprouts. This means in a pot of water, boil the sprouts for 30 seconds and then drain and put aside.
Use a large wok or frying pan to cook. Cook on medium high temperature.
Add about 1 cup of oil to the wok or pan. Heat the oil. Add the chicken, garlic, onion. Cook the chicken slices with oil and the onion and garlic. Cook until chicken is mostly cooked.
Add the cooled noodles, 1 drained can of sliced mushrooms, 1 drained can of sliced water chestnuts, and the sprouts. Turn down to medium heat.
Cook until the noodles are heated. Stir often. If neccessary add more oil to avoid the noodles sticking to everything and themselves. Add soya sauce until your dish reaches a desired color. You will add approximately 1/4 cup of soya sauce if not more so be generous. The dish should be a darker golden brown to taste right.
Remove the spine of the peas while the dish cooks (Don't forget to stir the dish often). Cut into the tip of the pea pod and pull the tough string that runs along the spine. Pull it right off. Add the peas.
Use approximately 1/2 tsp of worcestershire sauce and drizzle on the dish as it cooks. Stir. Add another 1/2 tsp.
Stir and cook 5-10 more minutes.
Dish and serve and enjoy!
*The easiest way to clean a frying pan or wok with foodstuffs stuck to it is to add a little dish soap and water to it, and put it back on the burner on medium heat for a short while. The stuff will boil right off. Scrape off the chunks, and finish washing in the sink.*