Classic Chicken Fried Noodles for Jamie Oliver’s Food Tube \ VIDEO

Hi guys! After a hiatus while we were frantically working on the book, we’ve finally done another tasty recipe video for you all! It’s another classic, adapted from a long-serving recipe that mum uses at the market back in New Zealand.

Our secret to creating super juicy fried noodles is to cook up a moreish chicken gravy that lightly coats the noodles with a savoury slick of sauce. The rest is kept fairly simple but colourful: silky chicken thigh meat, vibrant carrots, crunchy bean sprouts and just-tender broccoli – delish!

Chicken Fried Noodles

From The Dumpling Sisters Cookbook

Serves 4

350g skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into strips
250g dried egg noodles
4 tbsp vegetable oil
3 slices ginger, finely diced
1 clove garlic, finely diced
1 small carrot, thinly sliced
Large handful bean sprouts
1/2 head of a medium broccoli, cut into florets
¾ tsp salt
1¼ tsp granulated sugar
1 tsp dark soy sauce
2 tsp sesame oil (optional)

for the marinade
½ tsp light soy sauce
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp granulated sugar
pinch ground white pepper
1 tsp cornflour
¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 tbsp water

1. In a bowl, stir together the chicken and marinade ingredients until well-combined. Cover and chill for at least 20 minutes.

2. Prepare the dried egg noodles according to the packet instructions, but reduce the cooking time by a half as the noodles will keep cooking in the wok. Drain in a colander and use the edge of your wok charn (spatula) or a pair of scissors to make three cuts through the pile of noodles to shorten them.

3. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a wok over a high heat and stir-fry half of the ginger and garlic until fragrant. Add the marinated chicken to the wok in a single layer and allow it to brown for 1 minute, then flip the chicken every 30 seconds for a further 3 minutes until the chicken strips are golden.

4. Pour in 80ml of cold water and cover the wok immediately with a lid or a plate. Allow the chicken to cook through by simmering for 1 ½ minutes then transfer the chicken, gravy and any delicious sticky brown bits to a bowl. Set aside.

5. Wipe the wok with kitchen paper. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil over a high heat and stir-fry the remaining ginger and garlic. Add the carrots, broccoli and bean sprouts toss the vegetables in the oil for 1 minute. Pour in 80ml of cold water and cover with a lid. This step will trap in the wok hei (the smoky flavours or ‘breath’ of the wok). Cook the veg for 2 minutes until they are tender, then uncover and reduce the heat to medium.

6. Return the chicken and gravy to the wok, along with the noodles, salt, sugar, dark soy sauce and ½ tablespoon of oil. Toss the noodles until they are evenly coated with the seasonings and warmed through. If you find the noodles a bit too hard, sprinkle cold water onto them as you toss. Finally, if you wish to add a subtle nutty flavour to the noodles, simply turn off the heat before stirring through the sesame oil.