A chef has revealed how to make an authentic chicken chow mein that tastes “just like a takeaway would do it”.
The dish, which is a stir-fried mix of noodles, onions and bean sprouts, traditionally contains chicken, beef or pork, but can also be made with prawns or tofu.
While it’s easy to whip up with just a few ingredients, matching the exact flavours found in takeaway food can be tricky.
However, one chef claims it’s simple to achieve by adding just one cheap ingredient: MSG (Monosodium glutamate).
The recipe was shared on YouTube by chefs Chin and Choo of Ziangs food workshop, who showed viewers how to make the dish from scratch for a fraction of the price of ordering in.
Method
To make one serving, start by poaching a raw chicken breast in a pan filled with hot water over low heat on the hob. This should take around 10-12 minutes until the juices run clear when pierced.
Once cooked, place the breast into a bowl of iced water to “stop the cooking process”. After around 10 minutes when the chicken is cool, slice it into even strips across the grain of the meat.
In a large Wok or non-stick frying pan, heat some vegetable oil. Add the sliced white onion and sizzle until they start to brown. At this point, the sliced chicken can be poured into the hot pan followed by a pinch of salt and MSG.
Chefs Chin and Choo shared: “Run off the MSG and you’ll know when it’s done because it will smell like a takeaway.”
Then toss in the noodles, let them get a bit of a sizzle for about half a minute to add that yummy charred taste. Keep stirring and do it again until you can really smell that delicious char. Sprinkle a bit more salt and MSG, then give it another quick stir.
Pour some dark soy sauce over the noodles for that rich colour and then pop in the beansprouts. The chefs explained: “You always add your beansprouts last to maintain colour, and texture, and deliciousness!”
Give it one last cook for 15 seconds to warm everything up nicely before you dish it out. Finish with some fresh spring onions and red chilli for an extra kick.
