Crispy noodles with beef and snowpeas
This Cantonese dish is a favourite across the globe. The crisp noodles with their beef and snowpea (mangetout) topping are drenched in a velvety oyster sauce.
Ingredients
275g fresh or 175g dried egg noodles
1½ teaspoons roasted sesame oil
350g rump or sirloin steak, trimmed
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
2 teaspoons Shaoxing rice wine
½ teaspoon sugar
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 teaspoon cornflour (cornstarch)
100g snowpeas, ends trimmed
3 tablespoons oil
Sauce
1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger
1 spring onion (scallion), finely chopped
330ml chicken stock
3 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine
½ teaspoon dark soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon roasted sesame oil
1½ tablespoons cornflour (cornstarch)
Method
Step 1
Cook the noodles in a pan of salted boiling water for 2–3 minutes if fresh and 10 minutes if dried, then drain and combine with 1 teaspoon of the sesame oil. Place the noodles in four small cake tins or flat-bottomed bowls and leave to cool.
Step 2
Cut the beef across the grain into slices about 2mm thick, then into 4cm squares. Combine the beef, soy sauce, rice wine, sugar, garlic, cornflour and the remaining sesame oil and toss lightly. marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
Step 3
Blanch the snowpeas in a pan of boiling water for 15 seconds. Drain and refresh immediately in cold water. Dry thoroughly.
Step 4
Heat a wok over high heat, add 2 tablespoons of the oil and heat until almost smoking. Invert the noodle cakes, one at a time, into the wok and fry on both sides until golden brown, swirling the pan from time to time to move the noodles so that they cook evenly. Put the noodles on a plate and keep warm and crisp in a low oven.
Step 5
Reheat the wok over high heat, add the remaining oil and heat until very hot. Drain the beef and stir-fry in batches for 1 minute, or until the beef changes colour. Remove with a wire sieve or slotted spoon, and drain. Pour the oil from the wok, leaving 2 tablespoons.
Step 6
To make the sauce, reheat the reserved oil over high heat until very hot and stir-fry the ginger and spring onion for 10 seconds, or until fragrant. add the remaining sauce ingredients, except the cornflour, and bring to the boil. Combine the cornflour with enough water to make a paste, add to the sauce and simmer until thickened.
Step 7
Add the beef and snowpeas, toss to coat with the sauce, and pour the mixture over the noodles.
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