In honor of the Chinese New Year and the upcoming Year of the Snake we’ll be making Chicken Lo Mein with Ginger Mushrooms from page 249 of SFTTSE. This recipe not only promises to be delicious, but it also symbolizes longevity, growing fortunes and intelligence for the New Year. We haven’t done a noodle dish yet so this should be another first after our previous adventure with velveting. If you are unable to find the Chinese lo mein noodles I would suggest finding a spaghetti-style egg noodle, cooking it according to the package instructions until al dente, and thoroughly shaking it dry before proceeding with the recipe.
Any questions or comments before you start?
New Years decorations in Chinatown. Photo: Grace Young.
Sounds terrific. I have chicken and noodles on hand. Will see what wonders the wok can magically give us! Thanks, Matthew!
I love lo mein so I’m really looking forward to this one. I’d be interested in folks’ thoughts on replacing the fresh shitake. Don’t know how common those are in Indiana in February.
Use dried or some other kind of fresh?
Mitchell, The dried shiitake is an excellent substitute. You’ll find that less oil is needed for stir-frying. The fresh really absorb the oil but the reconstitute dried mushrooms are already moist. You can also use any kind of fresh mushroom. Mushrooms grow quickly so the Chinese like to eat them for new years as they represent growing fortunes.
If substituting bean sprouts for the cabbage, should we do anything different? Or do we use the same amount and cook it the same way?