CHICKEN MEI FUN
Mei Fun (sometimes written mai fun) is a simple, home-style dish of rice noodles with chicken. A basic Chinese pantry of ten components or less should provide you with all the stuff you need for this dish.
This recipe for chicken mai fun can be easily adapted to suit various tastes. As more and more of our readers begin to learn that Chinese cooking is easier than it appears, they are also realizing that they can make alterations to recipes based on what they have available.
Please feel free to use any leftover vegetables you have in the fridge. Thank you for your cooperation. It’s even possible to alter the protein. A tasty bowl of noodles is only a few ingredients and a few minutes of prep work away.
Mei fun, lo mein, or fried rice have always been my favorite dishes. I believe texture is the key.
What Makes Mei Happy?
A thin noodle made of rice is called a mei fun. The dried rice noodles used in this recipe are precooked and then dried throughout the manufacturing process. Toss them into soups or stir-fries with just a few minutes of pre-soaking.
I prefer vermicelli rice noodles, although you can purchase them in various forms and thicknesses. From round to flat, small to wide, they’re all over the place!
Traditionally, mei fun is made with thin rice vermicelli, but if you happen to have some other rice noodle on hand, you can substitute it. Make sure you follow the instructions on the back of the packaging when preparing the food.
INGREDIENTS:
RICE NOODLES:
- 7 ounces of dried thin rice vermicelli noodles
- 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil
- 1/2 teaspoon of dark soy sauce
CHICKEN:
- 7 ounces of chicken breast, cut into strips
- 1 tablespoon of water
- 2 teaspoons of Shaoxing wine
- 1 1/2 teaspoons of oyster sauce
- 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon of cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon of white pepper
- 1 pinch of five spice powder
REST OF THE RECIPE:
- 5 oz. of shredded cabbage
- 4-5 thinly sliced small shallots
- 3 scallions, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 2 slices ginger, julienned
- 1 julienned medium carrot
- 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons of water
- 1 1/2 tablespoons of light soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon of sesame oil
- 1/4 teaspoon of white pepper
- salt to taste
INSTRUCTIONS:
- To prepare the dried rice noodles, follow the package directions and soak them according to the directions. Make sure they’re no longer hard or dry by chewing on one of the noodles to make sure they’ve been wet enough. Excess water can be removed by squeezing the noodles to remove them from the water.
- For this dish, combine rice noodles with one tablespoon of oil and half a teaspoon of dark soy sauce in a medium-sized bowl. Set aside.
- Pour all ingredients except the oil into a medium bowl. Stir to combine. Add the chicken and all the ingredients except the oil to the bowl. Allow at least 20 minutes of marinating time.
- So, while you’re doing all that, get started on the other ingredients. The stove should be turned on only when all ingredients are in place.
- Turn the heat up to high on your wok. Add the ginger and chicken to the 3 tablespoons of oil. Stir-fry the chicken until it’s just done, then remove it from the pan. Stir-fry the shallots for 10 seconds once they’ve been added to the pan. Cook for an additional 30 seconds before adding the cabbage and carrots.
- Soy sauce, sesame oil, and white pepper are all that’s needed to bring out the flavors in this dish. Make sure everything is fully combined.
- Finally, add the rice noodles and scallions to the pot. To warm the noodles and evenly distribute the chicken and vegetables, turn down the heat to medium. Stir-fry everything together until everything is well heated. Add salt to your personal preference.
- The sooner you serve, the more al dente the noodles will be. If you want softer noodles, add 2 tablespoons of water to the wok, cover, and simmer for a minute on low heat before serving.