Description
These fried egg noodles, shaped like a bird’s nest, are golden and crunchy on the outside while soaking up a flavorful sauce. Perfect for topping with stir-fried meats and veggies, it’s a showstopper.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Seafood
- 10 shrimp (size 21-25, peel, devein)
- 10 bite-size pieces calamari/squid/cuttlefish
- 10 small scallops
Seafood Marinade
- 1/2 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 cup corn starch (reserve until frying)
Sauce
- 1/4 cup tapioca starch or corn starch
- 2 1/2 cups water
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon shaoxing cooking wine
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Choice of Vegetables
- Orange vegetables: carrots or orange bell peppers
- Green vegetables: Bok choy, snow/sugar snap peas
- Yellow vegetables: Baby corn or yellow bell peppers, or yellow squash
- Red bell peppers
- Mushrooms
Egg Noodles
- 1 lb fresh egg noodles
Aromatics
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon diced shallots
- 1/2 tablespoon minced ginger
- Half yellow onion (peel, cut into thin wedges)
Garnish (optional)
- ground black pepper
- green onions
- cilantro
Instructions
- Prepare the seafood and make the sauce: Clean the shrimp, scallop and squid thoroughly by rinsing them with cold running water and drain dry. Transfer to a medium bowl, and marinate with chicken stock powder, salt, ground black pepper, and garlic powder for at least 15 minutes. Set aside. Combine the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
- Prepare and blanch the vegetables: Peel and cut your choice of vegetables into bite-sized pieces. Fill a large wok or deep pot with 4 inches of water and bring it to a rolling boil. Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of oil. Blanch each type of vegetable for 30 seconds to 1 minute, depending on thickness. Mushrooms do not need to be blanched.
- Deep fry the seafood: Remove water from the wok and heat 4-5 inches of oil to 380°F. Add cornstarch to the seafood that we set aside earlier and mix until combined. Drop the seafood into the hot oil one by one to prevent sticking. Deep fry for 30-45 seconds. Seafood does not need to cook all the way through as it will be stir-fried later. Transfer fried seafood to a plate lined with paper towels or a wire rack to remove excess oil. Set aside.
- Prepare the noodles: Divide the egg noodles into 5 large plates. Spread the noodles into a 5-inch disk.
- Deep fry the noodles: To the wok, make sure oil is at 380°F. Slide the noodles from the plate into the hot oil. It should start to puff up immediately. Deep fry the noodles for 30-45 seconds then transfer to a wire rack to drain excess oil and then onto a large plate. Repeat with remaining noodles. Optional: To make the noodles more bowl-shape, immediately transfer fried noodles onto a large bowl. While the noodles are hot, press the noodles down gently into the bowl with a large ladle. This will create a shallow well.
- Sauté the aromatics: Remove the oil from the wok, leaving about 2 tablespoons. Heat up oil on medium high, then add garlic, shallots, ginger and yellow onion wedges. Sauté until fragrant (about 30 seconds).
- Add sauce: Give the sauce mixture a quick stir to re-dissolve the starch that may have settled. Add the mixture to the wok with the aromatics. Cook on medium-high until the mixture starts to bubble and thickens.
- Add blanched vegetables and fried seafood: Cook for about 3 minutes. Scoop out stir-fried mixture and its sauce among the five noodle “nests.”
- Garnish: Add a dash of ground black pepper, sliced greens and/or cilantro. Serve immediately for the best crunchy texture.
- Prep Time: 40
- Cook Time: 15
- Category: entree
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: asian, vietnamese, chinese