Chicken and Bell Pepper Chow Mein

This colorful dish is incredibly easy and amazingly delicious. Chicken, noodles, bell peppers, garlic, ginger, scallions, soy, honey, sesame oil, and lime juice..... aaaah, the lime juice.... more on that later...

If you have been reading my blog, you know that I have been hooked on cooking with a wok. You may also know that my wok is relatively young, i.e., early in the seasoning stages.

First, I should have been tipped off when the recipe in the book used the phrase "deglaze." This usually means that by adding the additional liquid to the pan, all of the bits of cooked on flavor of the pan will be released once the liquid is added (it's a great way to clean a stainless steel pan by the way).

Second, I should have also been alerted by the fact that one of the deglazing liquids is lime juice. Acid! Not good for a newly seasoned wok, right?

Third, I should have noticed that the wok in the book's photograph was stainless steel, not carbon steel.

While I loved the final result of this recipe, the deglazing removed the hard won seasoning on the bottom of my carbon steel wok. Fortunately, it was not that hard to get it back. I stir fried a couple of batches of chives and set the oiled wok over high heat for a few minutes. Phew!

Wok seasoning panic not withstanding, this dish is so easy to make and delicious. Once you've prepped all of the ingredients. the stir fry takes just a few minutes.

Chicken and Bell Pepper Chow Mein

Adapted from Simply Ming One-Pot Meals: Quick, Healthy & Affordable Recipes.
The book is filled with great dishes, not just stir fries, but braises, sautés, and roasts (and more).

Four servings.

Note: Unless your wok is highly seasoned, due to the lime juice, I think you can and should make this easily in a large stainless steel skillet. I don't recommend buying a stainless steel wok unless you are going to do a lot of steaming. They are much more expensive than the carbon steel woks. That being said, if you want to check out all of the types of woks available, check out The Wok Shop. (Disclosure: they have no idea that I am recommending them.)

Ingredients

8 ounces fresh chow mein noodles

Kosher salt

6 T grape seed, peanut, or canola oil, plus more for coating the noodles

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1/3 inch strips

3 T minced garlic

2 T minced ginger

1 bunch of scallions cut into 1 inch pieces. Use both the white and green parts.

1/4 C soy sauce

1/4 C honey

Juice of 2 limes

Equivalent to 3 small bell peppers, 3 to 4 colors (I used four colors) cut into 2 inch squares

1 T toasted sesame oil

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, add water and ice cubes. 
2. In a saucepan, cook the noodles in salted boiling water for about 3 minutes. Drain them and then place them in the ice water. Once they are cold, drain them again, transfer them to a bowl, and toss with a bit of oil to keep them from sticking. 
3. Heat a wok or a large skillet over high heat. Coat the pan with 4 T of oil until hot. 
4. Add the chicken and stir fry it until it is cooked, about 6 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate or bowl.
5. Add 2 T of oil to the wok/skillet. Add the garlic, ginger, and scallions, and stir fry for about a minute. 
6. Add the soy sauce, stir, and then add the honey and lime juice (and this is where the dreaded "deglazing" takes place). Simmer for about 30 seconds. 
7. Add back the chicken and its juices and the peppers and stir. 
8. Add the noodles and stir for about 2 minutes. 
9. Transfer to a serving bowl and drizzle with the sesame oil.

Enjoy!