When I was growing up, there was a Chinese restaurant near me that served a few different stir-fries served in a "bird's nest". Although actual birds' nests are a thing, this is not what they served - it was shredded potatoes shaped into a bowl and then deep fried, usually served with a mix of seafood and vegetables in a rich, light colored but very garlic-heavy sauce. The dish has a lot in common with some versions of chow mein, which in some preparations is a bed of really crispy noodles with a very heavily sauced stir-fry plated over the top. Both are great, and the consistency is what really wins me over - crispy on the edges, but chewy and loaded with flavor as you work your way in, and as the noodles start soaking up the sauce from the outside in.
To try to replicate this, I bought a nest-frying tool, which is a strange contraption of two concentric hemispherical baskets that clamp together, and you load up the volume in between with potato and then deep fry the whole thing. Naturally, I've never used it. Instead, I've tried to make the noodle version of this dish a few times with minimal success, mostly because the crispy noodle cakes that serve as the foundation usually come out both squishy and burnt when trying to get heat into the center of a cake of pre-boiled noodles. On a recent attempt, after having a fit about ruining too many noodles, I gave up in a fit of rage and threw a small quantity of the noodles into my air fryer, which turned out to be the magic step - this turned a disaster of a process into a really easy one. And then today, based on a recent attempt at making a few Thai noodle soups from Serious Eats, I borrowed a technique where you make a garlic-infused oil and then use that as the oil to coat the noodles in, prior to air-frying. The result was better than any version I've had in a restaurant.
The toppings for this crispy noodle cake almost don't matter as long as there's enough of a decent, garlicky sauce to work its way into them at serving time. I tend to lean towards a beef with oyster sauce, so I liked the version that combines beef and bok choy from Omnivore's Cookbook, adapted to what was in the garden, and using some leftover rare rib roast and only lightly stir-fried. It's infinitely adaptable, so long as there's at least a cup of a thickened sauce to go over the noodles. If you get the timing just right, serving over the hot, freshly fried noodles will get them to sizzle audibly, and start soaking up that goodness right before you start eating.
A word on ingredients - use decent stuff. There's a good amount of oyster sauce in this, and Shaoxing wine is used in a couple of steps. Try to get a good quality version of these two things, which both make a difference. Try to find an oyster sauce that's actually got "oyster" as the first ingredient, and look for a wine that's got less salt and might be labeled "hua diao" or has aged a bit. This is going to change the flavor immensely, and took me a long time and many mediocre stir-fries to realize.
 |
| These are the versions of the key ingredients that I keep on hand. And yes, that's Japanese soy sauce, not Chinese. |
Beef and Bok Choy Over Crispy Air-Fried Noodles
Based on Omnivore’s Cookbook + Serious Eats, with some process improvements by me
- 8 oz flank steak (or skirt steak), thinly sliced against the grain, OR sliced, previously cooked rare beef such as rib roast, T-bone, ribeye, or any tender cut
- 8 oz fresh lo mein noodles (or other type of thin noodles, no thicker than a normal spaghetti)
- 6 cloves garlic
- ½ cup canola or other neutral oil
- 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Sauce:
1 cup low-sodium beef broth (I use Better than Bouillon dissolved in water)
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce (use decent stuff, I’m begging you)
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon Chinkiang vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
Stir-Fry
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil, divided
- 4 heads baby bok choy or equivalent asian greens (pak choy, Japanese turnip greens, mizuna), quartered if large
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1" ginger, minced
- ½ yellow onion, sliced
Thinly slice the 6 cloves of garlic and place in a small, cold pot with the ½ cup canola oil. Warm this over medium heat until you see bubbles coming off the garlic, then hold at a low temperature for 2-3 minutes. Set aside until cooled, then place in a jar. You’ll be pulling off 2 tbsp of the oil, and can use the remaining oil and garlic for some other delicious purpose.
Combine the sauce ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and stir to mix thoroughly.
Prepare the noodles according to package directions. Drain and set aside in a colander to dry.
Pre-heat an air fryer to 385 degrees. In a medium bowl, toss the noodles with 2 tbsp of the garlic-infused oil. Really get in there with your hands and get the oil to coat all of the noodles – it will aid in crisping them in the air fryer. Divide the noodles into two portions, and shape the first portion into a patty the size of your dinner plate (or air fryer base, whichever is smaller). Air fry until starting to brown at the edges, approximately 8 minutes. Remove to a plate and repeat with the second patty as you stir-fry the remainder of the dish.
 |
| The prepped ingredients. Instead of bok choy, this version had mizuna, pak choy, and baby Japanese turnips |
If using raw beef: get a cast iron or carbon steel wok ripping hot, then quickly pour 1 tablespoon of oil and immediately add the beef. Spread it out in a single layer using a pair of tongs or chopsticks. Let cook undisturbed for 30 seconds or so, or until the bottom turns golden brown. Flip to cook the other side until browned. Stir a few times until the beef is cooked (it’s OK if there’s a hint of pink inside), transfer to a big plate, and set aside.
Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the wok. Add the onion. Quickly stir a few times to mix well.
Add the bok choy or other asian greens (something in the cabbage family is preferred). Cook and stir for another minute, until the veggies start to soften. Add the ginger and garlic. Stir and cook for 30 seconds to release the fragrance.
If using previously cooked beef: after the garlic and ginger go in, add the beef and stir-fry in with the other elements for about 30 seconds, to infuse the aromatics before the sauce goes in.
Turn the heat down to medium. Stir the sauce thoroughly to dissolve the cornstarch completely and pour the sauce into the wok. Stir and cook to bring the sauce to a boil, and cook until it starts to thicken.
If using raw beef: add the cooked beef back into the pan (previously cooked beef directions should have the meat in there). Stir to mix everything well. Once the sauce reaches the desired consistency, pour everything over the fried noodles and serve immediately.
No comments:
Post a Comment