Sonia Wong's Noodles

Quick Scallion Oil Noodles

Serves 4.

Ingredients:

For the scallion oil topping:

2 bunches scallions, finely chopped

1 tsp kosher salt, more to taste if needed

4 tbsp soy sauce, more to taste if needed

1 tbsp toasted sesame oil

½ C high-heat neutral oil, such as avocado oil or vegetable oil

For the noodles and serving:

4 servings of Chinese dry knife-cut noodles with wavy edges (1 lb)

Directions:

1. Make the scallion oil topping:  Place chopped scallions into a bowl. Heat up ½ cup of high heat oil in a pot over medium to medium-high heat. While oil heats up, add the salt, soy sauce and toasted sesame oil on top of the scallions in the bowl. Once oil reaches 350f-355f (or when surface is shimmering and a dry wooden utensil inserted in the center creates bubbles rising rapidly up its sides), pour over the scallions. It should sizzle vigorously. Use a spoon to mix everything well. Set aside to wilt.
2. Cook noodles: Cook noodles according to package directions. Set aside 1 cup of cooking water. Drain noodles into colander and rinse noodles briefly to rid excess starch, but not so long that the noodles get cold.
3. Finish and serve: Divide noodles among four servings bowl. Top with scallion sauce. Toss well. Add splashes of noodle cooking water if needed to adjust consistency. Taste and add additional salt/soy sauce/sesame oil if desired.

Shrimp and Shitake Chow Mein

Serves 4.

Ingredients:

For the marinated shrimp:

¾ lb (340g) raw tiger shrimp, defrosted deveined and deshelled

1 tsp Shaoxing wine (can sub with dry sherry or omit)

¼ tsp soy sauce

¼ tsp kosher salt

1/8 tsp white pepper powder

For the noodles: 

1lb fresh chow mein noodles

1 bunch scallions, cut into 2-inch pieces

8-10 fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems trimmed and thinly sliced

2 tsp sesame oil

Neutral high heat oil for cooking

For the sauce: 

1 tsp granulated sugar

1 Tbsp hot water

2 Tbsp dark soy sauce

2 Tbsp soy sauce

1 Tbsp Chinese cooking rice wine, optional

1 Tbsp oyster sauce

Directions:

1. Place shrimp in a bowl with marinade ingredients. Mix and set aside.
   
2. Prepare noodles according to package instructions (e.g. soaking in hot water, boiling or steaming) until slightly undercooked. Drain well.
3. Meanwhile make the sauce, starting by whisking the sugar and hot water first to dissolve the sugar easily, then whisk in remaining sauce ingredients. Set aside.
4. Heat a large wok or pan over medium to medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of oil. Add shrimp. Stir-fry until they just barely turn pink, about a minute (do not overcook). Scoop out and set aside.
5. Add more oil, followed by the scallions and shiitake mushrooms to stir fry a few minutes until mushrooms are slightly browned. Season to taste with salt. Transfer everything to the dish with the par-cooked shrimp.
6. Add 1 tablespoon of oil into the wok and heat until shimmering. Add prepared noodles, moving around to coat the underside and arranging to maximize contact with the surface of the wok. Cook mostly untouched for 2-3 minutes or until noodles are crispy and golden. Flip. Drizzle another tablespoon of oil just outside the edges of noodles so that it slides down and under the noodles. Again, cook mostly untouched 2-3 minutes or until bottom side is crispy and golden.
7. Return shrimp, scallions and shiitake mushrooms to the wok. Pour sauce over everything and toss well, cooking just until heated through.
8. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed with additional soy sauce or dark soy sauce. Finish with sesame oil. Toss and serve.

Easy Chinese Tomato Egg Noodles

Recipe serves 4.

Ingredients:

For the Eggs:

6 large eggs

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tbsp water

¾ tsp salt

For the Noodles:

1 lb noodle of choice (I use Chinese dry wheat noodles of varying widths)

2 lbs tomatoes, cut into wedges

2-3 scallions, cut thinly (reserve some of the green for garnish)

2 thin slices fresh ginger

3 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 tbsp tomato paste (optional when tomatoes are not in season)

1 tbsp sugar, more or less depending on sweetness of tomatoes

1-2 tsp kosher salt, to taste

2 C broth

1 tbsp tamari or soy sauce

Drizzle sesame oil

Neutral oil for cooking (I use avocado oil)

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the noodles. 
2. Heat wok over medium and whisk egg ingredients together in a bowl. Once wok is hot, add a drizzle of oil and pour in egg mixture. Move it around constantly with a spatula as it cooks. Don’t overcook. Lift egg out of wok as soon as there is just barely any runniness remaining. Put back into the bowl and set aside.
3. By now the pot of water should be at a boil. Season water with salt and cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and give noodles a rinse under cold water and allow excess water to drain off. I like rinsing Chinese wheat noodles in cold water as I find it gives them a nicer, more slurp-able mouthfeel. The hot tomato soup will warm everything back up when serving. Toss noodles with a touch of sesame oil if you feel they may stick together. Divide noodles among serving bowls.
4. Increase heat a little to medium-high. Add another drizzle of oil to the wok and add in ginger slices and chopped scallions. Stir around and cook for 30 seconds then add minced garlic (and tomato paste, if using). Cook for another 30 seconds or until garlic has taken on a bit of colour and tomato paste has caramelized to a deeper shade of red.  Add chopped tomatoes. Stir fry them around to toss and bring to a simmer. Season with salt and sugar.  Make sure to taste and season. In particular, the amount of sugar varies depending on time of year and how naturally sweet your tomatoes are. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until tomatoes have softened and released a lot of their juices, but are still intact in visible pieces and not fully cooked into sauce. Add broth and bring to a simmer. Taste again and season with salt as needed depending on sodium content in your broth. Add back the cooked eggs, using your spatula to break it up a bit into bite-sized pieces. Finish with tamari / soy sauce and a drizzle of sesame oil. Ladle over prepared bowls of noodles. Garnish with reserved scallions and enjoy!

Short Wonton Noodle Soup

 

Serves 4.

Ingredients: 

For the soup:

4 C chicken or vegetable broth

2 C hot water

2 slices of ginger (unpeeled), smashed with the side of a knife to slightly break

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp toasted sesame oil

Salt to taste, amount depending on sodium content in chicken broth used above

High heat oil for cooking (I use avocado oil)

For the noodles and serving:

4 servings of frozen wontons

4 servings of wonton noodles (sold fresh in refrigerated noodle section)

Handful of quick-cooking Chinese leafy green vegetable such as baby choy sum, baby gai lan, baby bok choy, etc.

Directions:

Cook wontons: Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Cook frozen wontons according to package directions less 2 minutes. Scoop out with long-handled colander or slotted spoon, leaving the cooking water in the pot. Next, add noodles and cook according to package directions. Because of potassium carbonate in wonton noodles, they release a bit of “soapiness” into the water during cooking which is why we cook them separately and last. Drain and rinse noodles briefly. Divide noodles among four serving bowls. Rinse pot and return to the stove.

Make soup: Add soup ingredients into the pot and bring to a simmer. Add leafy greens and simmer until tender. Add wontons and simmer final 2 minutes to finish cooking fully.

Finish and serve: Divide wontons and leafy greens among the bowls of noodles. Ladle piping hot broth over each portion. Enjoy!