A note from the chef: I love this deceptively simple dish. If you have all the ingredients, you can have a plate of delicious noodles on the table within 15 to 20 minutes, with prep included. The traditional difference between lo mein and chow mein is that lo mein is a soft noodle with some gravy, and chow mein is a crispy fried noodle tossed with or smothered in sauce. Another tip: Although sesame oil is a fat and you would assume it should be used to start the stir-fry, I want you to treat it like a sauce. Sesame oil has incredible aroma and flavour but burns at a low temp. Add it to a sauce instead and use a high-temp oil like canola or peanut for cooking.
Ingredients
Method
- To make the sauce, stir together the oyster sauce, sesame oil, soy sauce, chicken stock and cornstarch in a small bowl and reserve.
- Heat a wok or large, heavy-bottomed skillet over high heat and add the cooking oil. Once you see wisps of white smoke, add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, until light brown and fragrant, about 20 seconds. Add the chicken and cook, stirring, until medium, about 1 minute.
- Stir in the noodles and bok choy and cook, stirring and tossing, until the bok choy starts to soften and turn bright green, about 1 minute.
- Stir in the sauce; allow the sauce to coat all the ingredients and start to simmer, about 1 more minute.
- Cook, stirring and tossing, until the chicken is cooked through, about 1 more minute, and the sauce starts to bubble into a glaze. Top with the scallions and serve hot.
Cook’s Note
There really isn't such a thing as a "lo mein" noodle, so don't try to find it on the shelf. You want to buy an egg noodle or pasta that's relatively thin and has some tooth. Some common names will be lo mein, chow mein, egg noodles or pancit noodles. Most markets have Japanese yaki soba noodles in the cold case, and those would work perfectly. Spaghetti or fettuccini cooked al dente and rinsed in cold water and drained in a colander will also make a great lo mein.
