Spicy chicken chow mein noodles

Name: Spicy chicken chow mein noodles
Yield: Serves 4-6
Cuisine: Chinese recipes
Ingredients: For the chicken; 1 spring onion, halved; Small thumb-size piece fresh ginger, cut in half and bashed; 1 tsp salt; 1 tbsp shaoxing wine (from the world food section of large supermarkets or from Asian grocers); 6 British free-range bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed; For the marinade; 2 tbsp red vinegar (from Asian grocers) or red wine vinegar; 1 tsp salt; 1 tsp caster sugar; 3 tbsp chilli oil (we used Cooks & Co Olive Oil with Chillies, from Ocado); For the sesame paste; 120g tahini; ½ tsp salt; ½ tbsp caster sugar; ½ tbsp rice wine vinegar; 100ml boiling water; ½ tbsp light soy sauce; For the noodles; 225g dried vermicelli rice noodles; 300g beansprouts, blanched in boiling water for 2 seconds; 1 cucumber, deseeded and cut into thin 6cm-long strips; 4 tbsp salted dry roasted peanuts, roughly chopped; Chilli oil to taste; Handful fresh coriander leaves; 1 red chilli, thinly sliced diagonally; ½ tbsp sesame seeds, lightly toasted in a dry pan

Published: 7 Aug 17
Updated: 18 Mar 24

Test kitchen approved

On a hot day in Beijing, Ning Ma would eat these spicy chicken noodles cold. Now served in her restaurants Mama Lan, this traditional recipe is a favourite during summer.

Serves 4-6
Hands-on time 40 min

Visit deliciousmagazine.co.uk to save recipe

Ingredients

For the chicken

1 spring onion, halved
Small thumb-size piece fresh ginger, cut in half and bashed
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp shaoxing wine (from the world food section of large supermarkets or from Asian grocers)
6 British free-range bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed

For the marinade

2 tbsp red vinegar (from Asian grocers) or red wine vinegar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp caster sugar
3 tbsp chilli oil (we used Cooks & Co Olive Oil with Chillies, from Ocado)

For the sesame paste

120g tahini
½ tsp salt
½ tbsp caster sugar
½ tbsp rice wine vinegar
100ml boiling water
½ tbsp light soy sauce

For the noodles

225g dried vermicelli rice noodles
300g beansprouts, blanched in boiling water for 2 seconds
1 cucumber, deseeded and cut into thin 6cm-long strips
4 tbsp salted dry roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
Chilli oil to taste
Handful fresh coriander leaves
1 red chilli, thinly sliced diagonally
½ tbsp sesame seeds, lightly toasted in a dry pan

Method

Put all the chicken ingredients, apart from the chicken, in a large pan with 1 litre water. Bring to the boil, add the chicken, then simmer for 20-25 minutes or until the chicken is cooked. The meat should come off the bone with little effort. Lift the chicken onto a plate and leave to cool, then shred into strips. Discard the skin, bones and cooking liquid.
Mix the marinade ingredients in a medium mixing bowl, add the shredded chicken and marinate for 1 hour or longer.
Mix the sesame paste ingredients in a small mixing bowl and set aside.
Soak and cook the noodles according to the packet instructions, run under cold water for 2-3 minutes to remove the starch, then keep chilled until ready to serve. To assemble the ban mein, put the cold noodles in a bowl or on a platter and arrange the marinated chicken on top. Spoon over some of the sesame paste followed by the beansprouts and cucumber in a mound in the middle of the bowl. Sprinkle the peanuts around the outside, spoon over as much of the chilli oil as you want, then decorate with the coriander leaves, sliced chilli and sesame seeds. Serve cold.

Recipe from June 2017 Issue

Nutrition

Nutrition: per serving

For 6

Calories: 521kcals
Fat: 25.4g (3.6g saturated)
Protein: 31.4g
Carbohydrates: 39.2g (5.5g sugars)
Fibre: 5.2g
Salt: 2.6g

delicious. tips

This dish is great as part of a buffet – you can prepare all the elements ahead and it’s served cold, so you can plate it up when you’re ready.
Cook, then marinate the chicken up to 48 hours in advance. Keep it in the fridge in a sealed plastic container or a non-reactive bowl covered with cling film. The sesame paste can also be made up to 48 hours in advance; keep it in a jar or sealed container in the fridge.

Fancy getting a copy in print?

Subscribe to our magazine

Spicy chicken chow mein noodles

Ingredients

Method

Nutrition

delicious. tips

More to discover