Garlic–ginger chicken noodles

Mise en place — set out in the order it goes in

1. 

   Chickenthinly slicedStep 3

2. 

   MushroomsslicedStep 4

3. 

   Bok choy stemschoppedStep 5

4. 

   Aromatics

   • garlic
   • ginger
   • spring onion whites

   Step 5

5. 

   Bok choy leaveschoppedStep 5

6. 

   Noodles + saucedrained noodles; sauce mixedStep 6

7. 

   To finishsesame oil · spring onion greensStep 7

Prep order — what happens when, and what overlaps

Shift the noodle bar to match your packet: they should finish draining just before they go in the pan.

Step by step

1. 

   1Noodles first

   per packet

   For this step

   • Dried flat rice noodles100 g

   • Follow the packet’s stir-fry preparation instructions, stopping while they still have a little firmness.
   • Drain well and use promptly; they’ll finish cooking in the sauce.
   • Avoid fully softening them beforehand or aggressively stirring them in the pan.

   

2. 

   2Prep everything

   ~8 min

   For this step

   • Chicken breast or thigh150 g
   • Mushrooms100 g
   • Bok choy100 g
   • Garlic2 cloves
   • Ginger8 g
   • Spring onion1

   • Slice the chicken thinly.
   • Slice the mushrooms.
   • Chop the bok choy, keeping stems and leaves separate.
   • Finely chop garlic and ginger; slice the spring onion, keeping whites and greens separate.
   • Mix the sauce in a small bowl:
     • soy sauce 2¼ tsp
     • oyster sauce 2¼ tsp
     • mirin 1½ tsp
     • sake 1½ tsp
     • rice vinegar 1 tsp
     • water 1½ tbsp
     • black or white pepper a pinch

   

3. 

   3Cook the chicken

   medium-high3–4 min

   • Heat half the neutral oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat.
   • Brown the chicken and cook through, then transfer to a clean plate.

   

4. 

   4Brown the mushrooms

   medium-high3–4 min

   Add the remaining oil and fry the mushrooms until browned, roughly 3–4 minutes.

   

5. 

   5Stems, then aromatics, then leaves

   medium-high~3 min

   • Add bok choy stems for 1–2 minutes, followed by garlic, ginger and spring onion whites for 30 seconds.
   • Add the leaves and let them wilt.

   

6. 

   6Noodles, sauce and chicken

   medium-high1–2 min

   • Add the noodles, sauce and chicken.
   • Gently lift and fold for roughly 1–2 minutes, until the noodles are tender and coated.
   • Add water a tablespoon at a time if they remain firm but the pan is drying out.

   

7. 

   7Off the heat: finish

   heat off15 s

   For this step

   • Toasted sesame oil½ tsp

   • Turn off the heat and add the sesame oil and spring onion greens.
   • Keep this final stage brief to minimise noodle breakage.