Shanghai Pan Fried Noodles Recipes

CANTONESE-STYLE PAN-FRIED NOODLES

Steps:

• Bring a large stockpot of water to boil. While the water is boiling, separate the greens from the whites of the scallion. Cut into one-inch pieces then quarter the 1-inch piece vertically so you end up with thinly julienned scallions, set aside. In a bowl, combine the oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar, minced garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, and 1 teaspoon of sesame oil, stir to combine, set aside.
• When the water comes to a boil, add the noodles and allow them to boil for 2-4 minutes (according to package directions). Drain and rinse under cold running water.
• Heat a large wok or a 16-18 inch skillet over high heat. Let the skillet heat for several minutes until it becomes SCREAMING HOT. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of sesame oil and 1 tablespoon of canola oil. When the pan becomes very hot and the oil starts to shimmer, add the noodles in a thin even layer. Grab the handle and carefully swirl the pan so the oil evenly coats all the noodles. Allow the noodles to cook for 4-6 minute or until they become crispy.
• Flip the noodles over using a large spatula. Do this carefully, don't worry if you cannot get all of them to turn at once. Do it in portions if necessary. Drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon of sesame oil and 1 tablespoon of canola oil around the perimeters of the pan and again, lift the skillet with handle and swirl the pan to allow the oil to distribute. Let the noodles fry for an additional 3-5 minutes. Remove the noodles to a plate.
• Heat the remaining 1 teaspoon of sesame oil, along with the white part of the scallion and let sizzle for just 10 seconds. Add the shredded carrots if using, and let cook for an additional 10 seconds. Add the noodles back into the skillet and toss. Separate the noodles so there aren't any large clumps. Toss in the shredded cabbage mix, if using and drizzle with the soy sauce mixture and toss continuously for 1-2 minutes or until the sauce distributes evenly over the noodles.
• Add the bean sprouts if using and the greens of scallions. Toss to combine and serve immediately.

SHANGHAI STIR-FRIED CHUNKY NOODLES

Steps:

• Cut the pork evenly into thin slices, then into slivers. Add the marinade ingredients and mix well.
• Bring a pan of water to the boil. Add the noodles and cook for 2 minutes (fresh Shanghai and udon noodles are already half-cooked when you buy them, which is why this doesn't take long). Turn the cooked noodles into a colander and cool under the cold tap. Shake them dry. Drip over 1/2 tablespoon oil and stir in thoroughly to prevent sticking.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a seasoned wok over a high flame. Add the pork strips and stir-fry swiftly to separate them. When they are just cooked, remove from the wok and set aside. Clean and re-season the wok if necessary, then return it to a high flame with the remaining oil. Add the noodles and stir-fry until piping hot, adding both soy sauces and seasoning with salt and pepper. Add the bok choy or spinach and continue to stir-fry briefly until wilted. Finally, stir in the pork. Serve.

SHANGHAI NOODLES (CU CHAO MIAN)

Steps:

• To make the marinade, combine the soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar and ginger and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Place the pork in the marinade and let sit for 10 minutes. Drain and reserve the marinade for later.
• Heat the oil in a wok or heavy skillet on high heat and fry the pork for one minute or until done. Remove the pork and set aside. Next fry the white parts of the cabbage and green onions along with the garlic for 30 seconds or until tender. Return the pork to the pan along with the reserved marinade, the sesame oil, chicken/cornstarch mixture and the green parts of the cabbage and green onions. Cook for 30 seconds. Add the noodles and stir until combined. Add white pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

SHANGHAI PAN-FRIED PORK BUNS (上海生煎馒头)

Steps:

• Add the pork skin and bones to a thick-bottomed medium pot with just enough water to cover them. Bring to a boil, and boil for 1 minute. Turn off the heat, and rinse the pork skin and bones under running water to clean them. Clean the pot as well.
• Trim away all the fat under the pork skin and cut into very thin slices. This makes it easier for the collagen to release.
• Fill the clean pot with 3 cups of water. Add the pork skin and bones, along with the Shaoxing wine, ginger, and scallion. Bring to a boil, and lower the heat to medium low. Simmer for 1 hour. (It should bubble gently at a low simmer).
• After 1 hour, the pork skin should be very tender, and the stock should look thick and almost milky. Strain to remove all solids, and add salt to taste. Let the liquid solidify in a covered container in the refrigerator overnight.
• This should yield 1½ cups of aspic, the perfect amount for this recipe.
• In a large bowl, combine the ground pork, Shaoxing wine, salt, sesame oil, sugar, water, dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, ground white-pepper, grated ginger, and minced scallions. Whip in one direction for 5 minutes until it has the texture of a thick paste.
• Dice the aspic into ¼-inch cubes. Carefully stir it into the filling to evenly distribute. Transfer the bowl to the refrigerator. Chill for at least 1 hour, preferably 1 ½ - 2 hours while you make the dough.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, add the cake flour, all purpose flour, salt, and instant yeast. Attach the dough hook, and turn the mixer on to the lowest setting. Slowly stream in the water. Knead the dough for 10 minutes until smooth. The dough should be soft but hold its shape.
• Shape the dough into a smooth ball, brush the top with oil, and cover the mixing bowl with a plate. Proof at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• These buns will go straight into the pan as you assemble them, so prepare the pan first by lightly oiling it with a neutral flavored cooking oil. A wide non-stick pan works best. A cast-iron pan also works, but can be more challenging when it comes to preventing the buns from sticking. You'll need to pre-heat it until it's just smoking, cover it with a thin layer of cooking oil, and let it cool completely. Now you're ready to assemble your buns.
• Once the dough finishes proofing, knead it for 3 minutes on the lowest setting of your stand mixer. (If kneading by hand, knead for 5 minutes.) Remove ⅓ of the dough, and keep the rest covered to prevent it from drying out.
• When you're ready to start rolling out the dough, take your filling out of the refrigerator. If it's warm in your kitchen (especially in the summertime), rest the bowl of filling in an ice bath to keep it cold while you assemble the buns.
• On a clean and lightly-floured surface, roll the dough into a long tube and cut it into small 20 gram pieces, measured with a kitchen scale. Keep in mind, this recipe makes about 30 buns, so your piece of dough (⅓ of the total) should divide into ten 20g pieces.
• Take each piece, roll it into a round ball, and press to flatten. Roll it out using a rolling pin from edge to center, rotating the dough as you roll. You should have a 4-inch round wrapper where the edges are thinner than the center.
• Add about 2 tablespoons of filling in the center, and pleat to close the top. Make sure you keep your fingers as clean as possible during this process. Wet or greasy fingers make it challenging to seal the buns.
• As you make the buns, arrange them in your pre-oiled pan. Placing them pleated-side down is traditional, but only do this if you're confident that your buns are well shaped and sealed. If not, place them pleated side up! Each bun should have half an inch of surrounding clearance. (You'll see I put them a bit closer together in my pan, which made them more difficult to separate!)
• Once the pan is filled with your first batch of buns, immediately move it to the stove, and turn on the heat to medium. Add enough oil such that the buns are sitting in about ⅛-inch of oil.
• As the oil heats up, move the pan around so the edges of the pan are also heated. The oil should start bubbling lightly all around the pan as the buns slowly begin to shallow-fry. DO NOT be tempted to turn up the heat. We don't want to burn the bottoms. Also, at this point, DO NOT touch the buns with any kitchen tool WHATSOEVER. They can be easily damaged, as they are not yet set.
• After about 8-10 minutes, the oil should be bubbling evenly. The bottom edges of the buns should be beginning to brown lightly, and the buns will expand a little as they cook.
• At this stage, add enough water so it comes up about ½ an inch (1.25 cm) in the pan. The water should come up about a third of buns' height. Immediately cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid, and cook for another 8-10 minutes on medium-low heat.
• Next, uncover the pan. The water should be mostly gone. Sprinkle the sesame seeds and chopped scallions over the top, put the lid back on, and cook for another 5 minutes over medium-low heat. (If there's still a significant amount of water left in the pan at this point, you can turn up the heat slightly, but do take care not to burn the buns.)
• The buns are done once you've cooked off all the water and the bottoms are golden brown. Use a dull kitchen tool to remove the buns, and avoid puncturing them. A stiff rubber spatula works well.
• Serve immediately with Shanghai rice vinegar or just eat it as is, taking care with the hot soup inside!

SHANGHAI NOODLES (CU CHAO MIAN)

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, season pork with salt and pepper.
• In a separate medium bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the sauce - water, soy sauce, sesame oil, oyster sauce, dark soy sauce (if using), wine, sugar, pepper, corn starch and Sriracha. Set aside.
• Heat cooking oil in a wok or heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork, and crumble while breaking up large lumps.
• Add garlic and ginger and continue cooking until meat is no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
• Mix in cabbage and stir-fry until tender.
• Add in noodles, breaking up strands if necessary and pour sauce on top. Toss to combine, coating with sauce. Adjust seasonings as needed and add Sriracha or red pepper chili flakes, for some heat, if desired.
• Remove from heat and garnish with sesame seeds.

STIR-FRIED SHANGHAI NOODLES

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook noodles in boiling water, stirring occasionally, until noodles just start to soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain.
• Fill a large bowl with ice and cold water. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add bean sprouts and cook, uncovered, until stems start to become translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain in a colander and immediately immerse in the ice water for several minutes to stop the cooking process. Drain.
• Heat oil in a wok over medium-high heat until starting to smoke. Add chicken, celery, green onions, garlic, and XO sauce. Stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook until slightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the cooked noodles, cooked bean sprouts, soy sauce, oyster sauce, and brown sugar. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Add chicken stock; reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer until noodles are tender yet firm to the bite, 2 to 3 minutes. more.

SHANGHAI FRIED NOODLES

Steps:

• In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the noodles until al dente, about 8 minutes. Rinse under cold running water and drain well. Set aside. In a small bowl, combine the rice wine, hoisin, and cornstarch. Add the beef, toss to coat, and marinate for 15 minutes. In another bowl, combine the dark soy, soy sauce and sugar, and stir well to dissolve the sugar. Place a wok over a high heat and add 1 tablespoon of the peanut oil, swirling to coat. When hot, add the garlic, ginger, and minced green onions, and cook, stirring quickly, for 10 seconds. Add the beef and stir-fry for 3 minutes. Add the cabbage and stir-fry for 3 minutes. Transfer to a platter and return the wok to a high heat. Swirl the remaining tablespoon of peanut oil in the wok and once hot, add the noodles to the pan and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the sliced green onions and jalapeno and sauce and toss all for 1 minute. Add the beef and stir to heat through. Serve immediately.

SHANGHAI PAN FRIED NOODLES

Steps:

• In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the noodles until al dente, about 8 minutes. Rinse under cold running water and drain well. Set aside. In a small bowl, combine the rice wine, hoisin, and cornstarch. Add the beef, toss to coat, and marinate for 15 minutes. In another bowl, combine the dark soy, soy sauce and sugar, and stir well to dissolve the sugar. Place a wok over a high heat and add 1 tablespoon of the peanut oil, swirling to coat. When hot, add the garlic, ginger, and minced green onions, and cook, stirring quickly, for 10 seconds. Add the beef and stir-fry for 3 minutes. Add the cabbage and stir-fry for 3 minutes. Transfer to a platter and return the wok to a high heat. Swirl the remaining tablespoon of peanut oil in the wok and once hot, add the noodles to the pan and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the sliced green onions and jalapeno and sauce and toss all for 1 minute. Add the beef and stir to heat through. Serve immediately.