Sanctuary from The Mad World
Ask not what you can do for your country. Ask what's for lunch. - Orson Welles

Servings: Four generous portions

For his birthday, my husband doesn’t want any present. He just wants me to make Fried Noodle, one of his favourite food which I hate to cook because it’s so tedious. Besides, home-cooked Fried Noodle never takes on the smoky and charred flavours so prized in the stall-bought one. Noodles tend to stick. They’re heavy. The ingredients are numerous, preparation long, etc, etc. I never bother.

But, following the mantra of dedicated wives all over the world, I’m supposed to say "Anything for my dear husband" or "The precious look on his face when he lights up eating the noodle is so worth it", right?  So I did.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that home-made noodles actually do not stick as much as their store-bought counterpart. I managed to create the charred and smoky effect too. I also discovered that with a little planning, the whole thing is actually not too difficult to make.

So, here’s the note. I’ll definitely make it again. Next year.

Ingredients:
Noodle
500 g bread flour (will experiment with all-purpose or a mix of the two for lighter noodle)
5 eggs
2 tsp salt
2-3 tbsp water
Extra flour
Maizena (Corn Flour) for dusting

Fried Noodle
3 garlic, finely minced
4 shallot, thinly sliced
Meat from 2 chicken thighs, cut into slivers
4 Meatballs, thinly sliced
2 eggs
Two cups of choi sum (or other bitter, leafy vegetables), cut into small pieces
Two cups of chinese chives (Gu Cai), cut into small pieces
Two cups of cabbage, shredded
Oil for frying
2 tbsp shaoxing wine

Noodle sauce (to combine)
1 tbsp sweet soy sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Directions:

Egg Noodle
In a bowl, mix the flour with salt. Mix using the dough hook in the mixer. Add egg one at a time and knead until smooth. Can be stored in the fridge at this stage after patting the outer surface of the dough with corn flour.

Pull a fist-size dough and roll it in the pasta machine from the widest to thinnest setting (for mine, it is from 1 to 4 or 5). Then cut into noodles. Repeat until the dough is finished. Cook the noodles until they float. Set aside with a splash of their water to prevent sticking (There is no need to separate noodle strands with oil).

Fried Noodle
Parboil or microwave the vegetables except for the chives for 2 minutes. Set aside.

Fry the garlic and shallots until golden brown (do not under-cook, they’ll taste sharp). Add the chives, chicken and meatballs. Fry until the chicken is barely cooked. Add the shaoxing wine and let the wine sizzles (That is the secret to fragrant noodle as the wine de-glazes the pan and produce a caramelized effect). Continue simmering until the wine evaporates. Add the noodle and stir well. Add the sauce and mix until the noodles take on a uniformed colour.

Push the noodle to one side and crack the eggs. Stir the eggs and when they’re half-done, incorporate the noodle into the egg mixture. Continue stirring until the eggs are cooked, well-distributed, and fragrant.

Lastly, add the vegetables. Mix well. Serve hot with a side dish of pickled cucumber and chilies.