Hong Kong–Style Noodles: Spilled Milk #217

So good. So fast. THE BEST noodles ever?

🌶️ Hey, Spilled Milk fans … here is a great deal for you, and only you: Buy 5, get 1 free! Good when you purchase an Andrew Zimmern bundle of my Badia spice line:

Head to this link, and use code AZCOOKS when you check out.

This may be the easiest, most frequently made quick dinner in the Zimmern house.

Its fast to make.

It’s insanely crave-able.

As a cook, you can take it in any direction: different veg, meat or no meat, spicy or not. You get the drill. This dish is fungible.

Most importantly, it is one of those dishes that EVERYONE loves to order when they go out to eat, but no one makes at home — which shocks me. This dish requires no special ingredients, but some are basic Chinese or Asian staples that I always have around and so should you:

• A good oyster sauce. I like this Thai one best.

• A good soy sauce from the Mala Market.

• Toasted sesame oil. This Japanese one performs so well.

• Chinese rice wine or Japanese sake. This is the Chinese one I buy.

• Chinese egg noodles, thin and thicker. I keep them in the freezer. For this recipe I used a huntun mian, a wonton noodle, called that because it’s frequently used in wonton soups. These thin noodles, made from egg, water, and lye water, look like angel hair pasta. They are originally from southern China and Hong Kong and are typically cooked al dente. The noodles are usually blanched for 10-30 seconds and rinsed under cold water in many recipes. In mine here, I brown them and let them cook in the steam of the vegetables cooking and with the sauce and so on. They are a popular ingredient in Cantonese cuisine, served in broth with shrimp wontons, or with Chinese broccoli (gai lan), and almost always garnished with garlic chives. In some parts of Asia, the noodles are served dry, topped with barbecued meat, and accompanied with broth on the side. They are fun to make from scratch, or you can buy any of a dozen brands from your local Asian market. Or you can order these off Amazon.

• Fresh ginger

• Dried whole chiles (Chinese ones are great) from the Mala Market.

Recipe: Hong Kong–Style Noodles