Chicken Lo Mein

Method

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1. Toss the chicken with the cornflour and 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce and leave 15 minutes — this velvets it and keeps it tender.

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2. Whisk the remaining sauce ingredients together and set within reach of the hob.

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3. Boil the noodles until just tender, drain, rinse under cold water, and toss with a teaspoon of oil.

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4. Heat a wok until smoking, add the oil, and stir-fry the chicken in a single layer for 3 minutes until browned at the edges and just cooked. Remove.

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5. Add the garlic and ginger for 15 seconds, then the carrot and cabbage for 2 minutes, then the mangetout for 1 minute. Keep everything moving.

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6. Return the chicken, add the noodles, and pour the sauce around the edge of the wok so it sizzles as it hits.

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7. Toss with tongs for 90 seconds until every strand is coated and glossy. Add the spring onions, toss once more, and serve.

   Mark done Start 90 sec timer

Chef’s Tips

• Have everything cut, mixed and lined up before the wok gets hot. There is no time to chop once you start.
• Undercook the noodles by a minute — they finish in the wok and turn to mush otherwise.
• Pour the sauce down the side of the hot wok rather than into the middle. It caramelises slightly on the way in.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• Out of spring onions? A small regular onion, finely sliced, or a few chives stirred in at the end both cover the job.
• A quarter-teaspoon of ground ginger per tablespoon of fresh is the standard ratio if you are working from the spice rack rather than a fresh root.
• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the usual stand-in when you are out of fresh garlic — it will not caramelise the same way, but it carries the flavour.

Pairing Suggestions

• Spring rolls or hot and sour soup
• Chilli oil at the table
• Cold beer or jasmine tea

Storage & Reheating

Refrigerate up to 3 days. Reheat in a hot wok with a splash of water; the noodles soften but stay good.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.