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Susan Jung

There are many ways to make chow mein (“stir-fried noodles”). Some restaurants serve a basic version – just boiled noodles mixed with seasonings (this is actually lo mein) – while others toss the noodles into a wok and stir-fry them with other ingredients. Some chefs pan-fry the boiled noodles – this is the type you are most likely to find in Hong Kong – or even deep-fry them. The noodles can be thick or thin, and the toppings vary greatly, too. Then there are the international variations on the dish, many of which bear no resemblance to Chinese cuisine.
Seafood and vegetable chow mein
Use fresh egg noodles for this – not too thick and not too thin. I like to pan-fry the noodles into a loose cake after boiling them, because it gives them a delicate crispness.

60 grams dried scallops (conpoy)
400 grams fresh egg noodles
3 squid, with a body length of about 18cm
12 fresh shrimp, with a body length of about 6cm
150 grams snow peas
4 fresh water chestnuts
About 50 grams Chinese celery
4-6 spring onions
2 fresh bamboo shoots, about 550 grams in total, or about 225 grams of peeled fresh bamboo shoots
15 grams oyster sauce
10ml fish sauce
½ tsp granulated sugar
1/8 tsp finely ground white pepper
4 tsp cornstarch
Cooking oil, as needed
1 Briefly rinse the dried scallops under running water, then put them in a bowl, add 200ml of boiling water and leave to soak until fully hydrated.
2 Bring a large pot of water to the boil and add the noodles. Use chopsticks to pull apart the noodles, separating them into strands. Cook until al dente, then drain. Heat an 18cm skillet over a medium flame, then pour in oil to a depth of about 2cm. Put a quarter of the noodles into the skillet, spreading them out so they are evenly distributed in the pan in a loose, flat cake.
Cook the noodles over a medium-low flame until crisp and lightly browned on one side, pressing with a metal spatula to compress them slightly. If needed, drizzle in more oil around the perimeter of the pan, tilting the skillet so it flows under the noodles. Flip the noodle cake over and fry the other side, adding oil as needed. Slide the noodle cake onto a plate. Cook the remaining noodles the same way, dividing them so there are four noodle cakes altogether.

3 Clean the squid. Pull the tentacles straight out of the body, which will remove most of the innards. Pull the quill and remaining innards out of the body, then rinse it inside and out with running water. Cut the body into 5mm-wide rings. Cut the tentacles from the face and beak. Dry the squid rings and tentacles with paper towels.
4 Peel the shrimp and cut off the heads. (Reserve the shells and heads for shrimp stock or shrimp oil.) Cut a slit down the back of the shrimp and remove and discard the vein.
5 Strain the conpoy through a fine sieve placed over a measuring cup and press on the scallops to extract as much liquid as possible. Reserve the soaking liquid. Pull the conpoy into thin shreds. You should have 150ml of soaking liquid; if there’s not enough, add some water. Add the oyster sauce, fish sauce, sugar and pepper to the soaking liquid and stir until dissolved.
6 Cut the snow peas on the diagonal into 1cm-wide pieces. Peel the water chestnuts and rinse them thoroughly, then slice about 3mm thick. Cut the Chinese celery and spring onions into 3cm lengths. If using whole bamboo shoots, remove the thick husk to expose the flesh, then cut off and discard the tough, woody base. Slice the bamboo about 3mm thick, then cut into pieces about 1cm wide. Bring a pot of water to the boil, add the bamboo shoots and simmer for several minutes, or until crisp-tender. Drain the bamboo shoots. Mix the cornstarch with 40ml of water.
How to make pancit, a Philippine take on Chinese fried noodles
7 Heat a wok over a high flame and pour in about 15ml of oil. When the oil is hot, add the bamboo shoots and stir-fry for a couple of minutes. Add the snow peas and celery and stir-fry for about a minute, then mix in the spring onion and cook for about 30 seconds. Take the ingredients from the wok.
8 Place the wok back over a high flame and add about 15ml of oil. When the oil is hot, add the shrimp and stir-fry until they curl up and turn pink. Add the cooked vegetables back to the wok, then stir in the shredded conpoy and the soaking liquid/sauces mixture. Bring to a simmer then stir in the squid. Taste for seasonings and correct, if needed.
9 Push the solid ingredients to the side of the wok. Stir the corn­starch/water mixture well, then drizzle it into the simmering liquid, mixing constantly. Add just enough cornstarch/water to thicken the liquid into a sauce that lightly coats the ingredients. You might not need all the cornstarch.
10 If you want a more casual style of serving, pull apart the pan-fried noodle cakes. Add the noodles to the wok, mix to combine the ingredients – which distri­butes the flavours more evenly – then scoop the mixture onto plates. For a nicer presentation, use the noodles as a flat “nest” and top it with the stir-fried ingredients. Serve immediately. Makes for generous serving.


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Susan Jung's recipes

How to make chow mein with seafood and vegetables – a simple, versatile dish

Susan Jung’s seafood and vegetable chow mein. Photography: Jonathan Wong. Styling: Nellie Ming Lee

Seafood and vegetable chow mein - ingredients. 14FEB19 [FEATURES] SCMP / Jonathan Wong

Seafood and vegetable chow mein - frying the noodles. 14FEB19 [FEATURES] SCMP / Jonathan Wong

Grandmother’s recipe for pork  dumplings, noodles not necessary

Susan Jung’s pork and watercress sui gau. Photography: Jonathan Wong. Styling: Nellie Ming Lee

Pork and watercress sui gau by Susan Jung. 22AUG18 [16SEPTEMBER2018 RECIPE POST MAGAZINE] SCMP: Jonathan Wong

Pork and watercress sui gau. Picture: Jonathan Wong

How to make zhajiangmian, Chinese noodles with bean paste and pork sauce

Susan Jung’s zhajiangmian noodles with bean paste and pork sauce. Photography: Jonathan Wong. Styling: Nellie Ming Lee

Ingredients for Zhajiang mian with braised pork, shredded cucumber and spring onions. Photographed in Wong Chuk Hang. 24JAN19 [FEATURES] SCMP / Jonathan Wong

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Pan-frying the boiled noodles – like it’s done in Hong Kong – adds a crispy deliciousness to basic chow mein



Pan-frying the boiled noodles – like it’s done in Hong Kong – adds a crispy deliciousness to basic chow mein.


Food and Drinks

How to make chow mein with seafood and vegetables – a simple, versatile dish

.css-1mniedq{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;} Pan-frying the boiled noodles – like it’s done in Hong Kong – adds a crispy deliciousness to basic chow mein

Seafood and vegetable chow mein

Pan-frying the boiled noodles – like it’s done in Hong Kong – adds a crispy deliciousness to basic chow mein