Ken Hom’s chicken on crispy noodles

Method

1. Combine the chicken, egg white, cornflour, salt and white pepper in a small bowl. Mix well, cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, blanch the noodles for 2 minutes in a large pot of salted boiling water, then drain well.
3. Heat a non-stick frying pan and, when hot, add 1½ tablespoons of the oil. Evenly spread the blanched noodles over base of the pan, turn the heat to low and allow the noodles to brown slowly (this should take about 5 minutes or so). When the noodles are brown on one side, gently flip them over using a fish slice and brown the other side, adding more oil if needed. When both sides are browned, transfer the noodles to a serving plate and keep warm.
4. When the chicken is ready, bring 300ml water to a boil in a saucepan. Remove the saucepan from the heat and immediately add the chicken pieces, stirring vigorously with a chopstick to keep them from sticking together. When the chicken pieces turn white, after about 2 minutes, quickly drain the chicken (discard the cooking water).
5. Heat a wok over a high heat. When hot, add the bean sprouts, then the rice wine, oyster sauce, soy sauce, chicken stock, black pepper and salt to taste. Bring the mixture to a boil, add the cornflour mixture and bring it to a simmer again. Return the chicken to the sauce and give everything a few stirs. Taste, adjust the seasoning if needed, then pour the chicken and sauce over the noodles. Garnish with the spring onions and serve straightaway.