Chicken Yakisoba

Step 1

If you have yakisoba noodles, skip this step. If you’re using ramen or Chinese wheat noodles, bring a pot of water to a boil, then cook noodles according to package directions until barely tender to bite (al dente). Immediately run them under cold water, and drain thoroughly. Meanwhile, continue with recipe.

Step 2

Prep vegetables: Slice onion lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick strips. Discard mushroom stems, then slice caps 1/4 inch wide. Chop garlic. Stack cabbage leaves on top of each other and roll them up into a tight cylinder. Slice leaves crosswise about 1/4 inch thick until you have about 3 cups of shredded cabbage. Peel carrot and use the vegetable peeler to create long, thin ribbons about 1/2 inch wide. Cut chives into 3 inch-long sections. Set vegetables aside.

Step 3

Prep chicken: In a large bowl, stir cornstarch and 1 1/2 Tbsp. soy sauce until cornstarch is dissolved. Cut chicken into thin slices 1 1/2 to 2 inches wide and 1/4 inch thick. Add chicken to soy sauce marinade and stir until it’s well-coated. Set aside for 5-10 minutes at room temperature.

Step 4

Prepare sauce: In a small bowl, stir together oyster sauce, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, and sugar.

Step 5

If you’re using yakisoba, put them in a colander, run the noodles under hot water, and separate them with your hands. (They are pre-oiled, so don’t add oil.) If you’re ramen or Chinese noodles, toss the cooked noodles from Step 1 in a bowl with 1 Tbsp. oil until well-coated. Set noodles aside.

Step 6

In a wok, 12- to 14-inch frying pan, or a wide Dutch oven, heat 1/4 cup oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add chicken slices and spread them out. Allow chicken to sear undisturbed until lightly golden on the underside, 1-2 minutes. (You’ll be tempted to immediately start stirring, but for well-seared chicken, leave it alone!) Continue to cook, stirring, until chicken is no longer pink, 1-2 minutes more. Transfer chicken to a plate and set aside.

Step 7

Add onion, shiitake mushrooms, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent, 2-3 minutes. Add cabbage and carrot and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are slightly softened, about 1 minute.

Step 8

Reduce heat to medium and add noodles. Return chicken to the pan. Add sauce and toss with tongs until noodles and chicken are hot and well-coated with sauce, 1-2 minutes. Add chives and toss again. Transfer yakisoba to a platter. Serve with more soy sauce to add to taste.