I remember when I was first shown how to make this dish. A family friend came over and showed me all the steps. It’s a lot easier learning a new recipe from someone in your OWN kitchen…
You just feel more comfortable and remember the steps more easily when you make it yourself.
Chicken Chow Mein is probably one of my favourite comfort foods. It’s a dish you can eat by itself or as a side (especially for a bbq).
There are so many styles of Chow Mein, some popular ones include Hakka (Indo-Chinese), West Indian and Asian (all in order of my favourites).
For my hubby (mr. vegetarian), I use extra firm tofu or just the vegetables alone. Some other vegetables you can add to chow mein are: bok choy, bean sprouts, snow peas, cauliflower, etc.
Wiri wiri peppers are grown in Guyana and are small, cherry-like peppers, which are red, orange and sometimes light green. The red ones are the ripest. You can find them at West Indian supermarkets and Asian grocery stores. Since I can’t find them everywhere, I usually buy a bunch and store them in a ziploc bag (in my freezer). I use them in many other dishes like West Indian Chicken Curry, Pepper Sauce, Stir Frys, the list is endless. They are HOT and FULL of flavour and I personally can’t live without them.
Tip: The key to is to cook the noodles perfectly, meaning as per the instructions of the packet. I have tried a variety of chow mein brands and so far I find that this is the best one to use! The Champion brand noodles always seem to overcook and become mushy. My hubby is usually in charge of boiling the noodles while I work on the chicken/veggies. Teamwork makes the dream work! 😉
If you don’t have an extra set of hands, cook your noodles last – that way you can be sure they won’t overcook/dry out. 🙂
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
• 1.5 lbs of boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1 inch chunks
• 1 packet of Brown Betty Chow Mein Noodles
• 1 crown of broccoli, cut into florets
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1 carrot, julienned
• 1 small red pepper, sliced
• 1 small green pepper, sliced
• 1 cup thinly sliced cabbage
• 4 green onion stalks, sliced
• 2 wiri wiri peppers, finely chopped (add a wee bit more if you like it HOT!)
• 1 tbsp pureed garlic
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1 1/2 tbsp regular soy sauce
• 2 tsp chinese 5 spice powder
• 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
• freshly ground pepper
• 1 tbsp oil
1. In a mixing bowl, add chicken, casareep, dark soy sauce, regular soy sauce, chinese 5 spice, salt and pepper. Mix well and pop it in the fridge to marinate for 30 minutes.
2. In a large wok, heat oil on low heat, add garlic and wiri wiri peppers. Cook for 2 minutes until the raw garlic smell goes away.
3. Turn heat to medium and add your chicken. Cook and brown slightly for more flavour!
4. Once the chicken has fully cooked and all the water has evaporated, add all of your veggies except the green onions and cabbage. (In the pic above, I cooked my veggies separately because I was making a separate batch for my hubby.
5. Continuously mix and cook until the veggies are halfway cooked – about 5-7 minutes. You want the veggies to be slightly crunchy, not mushy ones! Add green onions and cabbage. Mix and cover once cooked.
6. Follow the instructions on the noodle package to cook the noodles. Once completely drained, add the noodles to your wok and toss.
A Wee Bit of Garlic 