Turkey Chive Chow Mein (韭菜火雞炒麵, Gau2 Coi3 Fo2 Gai1 Caau2 Min6)

 

This recipe was updated on 23 Oct 2015. Some instructions and ingredient quantities were changed.

 

This noodle dish was made from leftovers from the Pecan Smoked Basil Oregano Turkey Thighs recipe. You can, of course, use any leftover turkey to make this dish. I happen to have had chives, but you can substitute green onions since they’re more easily available. The sauce is simple and based on oyster sauce.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

½ lb.	250 g.	Turkey meat (火雞, fo2 gai1) from the Pecan Smoked Basil Oregano Turkey Thighs recipe, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm.) pieces
½ lb.	250 g.	Chives (韭菜, gau2 coi3), cut into 2-inch (5 cm.) pieces
½ in.	15 mm.	Knob of ginger (薑, goeng1), crushed in a garlic press
2 cloves	2 cloves	Garlic (蒜, syun3), crushed in a garlic press
1 lb.	454 g.	One package chow mein noodles (炒麵, caau2 min6)
		Oil for cooking

 

Sauce Ingredients

2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Lee Kum Kee brand Premium Oyster Sauce (蠔油, hou4 jau4) or equivalent
2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Shaoxing rice wine (紹興酒, siu6 hing1 zau2) or dry sherry
½ tsp.	2.5 ml.	Ground white pepper (白胡椒, baak6 wu4 ziu1)
½ Tbs.	7.5 ml.	Sesame oil (麻油, maa4 jau4)

 

Equipment

		Garlic press
14 in.	35.5 cm.	Wok or pan

 

Lee Kum Kee Brand
Premium Oyster Sauce
(蠔油, hou4 jau4)

Preparation Instructions

1. Cut the turkey meat from the Pecan Smoked Basil Oregano Turkey Thighs recipe into 1-inch (2.5 cm.) pieces.
2. Wash and cut the chives into 2-inch (5 cm.) pieces.
3. Crush the ginger and garlic in a garlic press and put into a small bowl.
4. Prepare and mix the sauce in a small bowl: add the Lee Kum Kee brand Premium Oyster Sauce or equivalent, Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry, ground white pepper, and sesame oil.

Cooking Instructions

1. Cook the noodles according to the instructions on the package and until the noodles are al dente. Drain the noodles and set aside. If using thawed, ready-made, or fresh noodles, “fluff” the noodles to separate them (i.e. you don’t want put a single mass of noodles into the wok).
2. Heat a wok or pan over high heat before adding oil. Add the turkey pieces to the wok in a single layer on the bottom and brown the outside. Since the turkey is already cooked, the turkey should be browned quickly. Transfer the turkey to a bowl.
3. Reheat the wok over high heat before adding oil and then the chives. Stir fry the chives quickly, until they just become limp. Add the bowl with the ginger and garlic mixture to the wok, and then some oil to the mixture. Quickly stir fry all the ingredients until the ginger and garlic become fragrant. Transfer the contents of the wok to the bowl with the turkey.
4. Reheat the wok over high heat before adding more oil and then the noodles. The wok should be very hot before adding the oil and then the noodles. Noodles cooked in a restaurant wok (over much higher heat than that available in your kitchen) are served slightly burned, which gives the noodles an extra added flavor.  To try to emulate slightly burned noodles, try to put the noodles in one layer in the hot wok and add some liquid (water, stock, or Shaoxing wine; but not too much liquid otherwise you’ll steam the noodles) to facilitate the heat transfer from the wok to the noodles, and leave the noodles alone. You want the noodles to get burned before adding more oil to the noodles and turning them over, repeating the process.
5. Add the contents of the bowl with the turkey back into the wok, and stir fry all the ingredients together. Add the sauce ingredients to the wok and stir fry the ingredients together. Put the cooked ingredients into a serving dish and serve immediately.