Noodles and Pantry Meat
Pantry meat - Chinese sausage, tinned tuna, spam - deserves more credit than it gets. These perfectly preserved proteins are exactly the flavour hit you need when you've got to whack one out of the park mid-week.
Serves: 4
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
INGREDIENTS
500g fresh Shanghai noodles
4 Chinese sausages, thinly sliced diagonally
1 bunch pak choy, rinsed and cut into 5cm lengths
1 carrot, julienned
1 thumb-sized piece ginger, finely julienned
3 garlic cloves, finely sliced
4 green onions or shallots, white part finely sliced, green part reserved for topping
3 eggs
2 tbsp peanut oil
1 tbsp sesame oil, for tossing the noodles
1.5 tbsp caster sugar
2 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
For the sauce
2 tbsp kecap manis
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
2 tbsp oyster sauce
To serve
finely chopped coriander
fried shallots
garlic chilli sauce (optional)
METHOD
Bring a pot of water to the boil and cook the fresh noodles until just al dente, checking the packet and going about a minute under. Drain and place in icy water to stop the cooking process. Drain again, tossing with a little sesame oil to prevent sticking. Set aside.
Heat a large wok or frying pan over medium heat and add the peanut oil. Cook the Chinese sausages in the oil until golden and crispy. Remove and set aside.
In the remaining oil, add the ginger and garlic. Stir-fry until golden brown, being careful not to burn them. Set aside.
Crack the eggs into the wok and quickly scramble. Add the blanched noodles and stir through until they begin to blister.
Sprinkle the caster sugar over the noodles and toss well to coat. Deglaze the wok with the Shaoxing rice wine.
Add the carrot, pak choy, and the white part of the green onions or shallots, along with the cooked ginger and garlic. Toss everything together well.
Combine the kecap manis, dark soy sauce, and oyster sauce to make the sauce.
Pour the sauce into the wok with the noodles and vegetables. Toss everything together to evenly coat.
Return the crispy sausages to the wok and toss through.
Serve hot, topped with the green part of the spring onions, coriander, and fried shallots. Add garlic chilli sauce on the side if you like.
HINTS
Going about a minute under the packet's suggested cooking time for the noodles means they'll finish perfectly in the wok rather than turning to mush.
Crisping the sausages first, then setting them aside, keeps them from going soft and rubbery while everything else cooks - return them right at the end to keep that crisp edge.
This is the perfect place to use up whatever pantry protein you have on hand - tinned tuna or even spam can step in for the Chinese sausage with great results.
NUTRITION (per recipe total, serves 4 - guide only):
Energy: 10,800 kJ (2570 cal)
Protein: 70 g
Fat: 140 g
Saturated fat: 40 g
Carbohydrate: 190 g
Sugars: 55 g
Fibre: 10 g
Sodium: 5500 mg
This nutrition information is a guide only and may vary depending on brands, exact quantities, and ingredient substitutions used.