Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Use tamari instead of soy sauce and stock and rice wine with no additives; I used Imagine Organic brand chicken stock and Eden rice wine.

Assemble the ingredients before starting to cook

Press cooked noodles into an even layer in the hot pan

Cook noodles until brown and crispy on both sides

Cook chicken until done and remove from pan

Cook shiitakes

Then add broccolini and carrot - I used red pepper instead of carrot

Add ginger, garlic, chicken and sauce to pan and heat through

Serve chicken mixture over crispy noodles

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons (45 ml) plus 2 teaspoons (10 ml) soy sauce

5 teaspoons (25 ml) cornstarch

3 tablespoons (45 ml) Shaoxing rice wine

1 tablespoon (15 ml) sugar

1 cup (250 ml) low-sodium chicken broth

8 ounces (226 g) boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into ½ -inch (1.27-cm) pieces

Kosher salt

½ cup (125 ml) vegetable oil

6 ounces (170 g) chow mein noodles (either fresh or dried and cooked until tender)

6 fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and caps cut into ¼ -inch (0.64-cm) strips (or dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked and cut into ¼ -inch/0.64-cm strips)

¾ cup (180 ml) julienned carrot

1 cup (250 ml) chopped broccolini

3 tablespoons (45 ml) julienned peeled ginger (from a 3-inch/7.6-cm piece)

2 large cloves garlic, minced (4 teaspoons/20 ml)

1 cup (250 ml) mung bean sprouts (optional)

1 teaspoon (5 ml) toasted sesame oil

Preparation:

Whisk 3 tablespoons (45 ml) soy sauce into cornstarch in a small bowl. Whisk in 2 tablespoons (30 ml) wine, sugar, and broth. Season chicken with salt and remaining 2 teaspoons (10 ml) soy sauce and 1 tablespoon (15 ml) wine.

Heat a 10-inch (25-cm) cast-iron skillet over medium-high and add ¼ cup (60 ml) oil; heat until shimmering. Add noodles and flatten to an even layer. Reduce heat to medium and cook 1 minute. Add 1/3 cup (85 ml) water and cook, pushing edges in with a spatula to shape into a more compact disc, until golden brown and the entire thing holds together like a mat, 4 to 5 minutes more. Carefully slide a spatula underneath and flip over. Drizzle 2 tablespoons (30 ml) oil around edges of pan. Cook until crisp on the second side, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer to serving plate.

Return pan to medium high-heat, add chicken, and cook until golden brown on one side, 1 to 2 minutes. Toss and cook until almost cooked through, about 1 minute more. Remove from pan. To the pan, add 2 tablespoons (30 ml) oil and mushrooms and cook until tender, about 2 minutes. Add carrots and broccolini. Toss 1 minute. Add ginger and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir sauce to recombine, then add to pan and bring to a boil. Add chicken and toss to combine. Stir in sprouts and sesame oil. Serve over crispy noodles. Serves 4.

From Martha Stewart