Chicken and Mushroom Sauced Noodles With Thai Basil
5.0
(1)
In a lot of noodle shops in China, there’s a choice between soup noodles and sauced noodles. While I usually gravitate toward soup noodles during cold weather, there's something very comforting about sauced noodles, where each strand is coated in a complex savory sauce that flavors the entire dish. This recipe—with its thick gravy, umami mushrooms, and garlicky chicken—has everything I look for in sauced noodles: spice, sweetness, and savoriness, all elements coaxed out by the layering of flavors.
The sauce itself consists oftian mian jiang(sweet bean sauce) and redmiso. The combination of these two fermented sauces, one sweeter and one savory, makes for complex, multilayered flavor—a technique that is the basic principle behind a traditional northern Chinese dishzhajiangmian.
This dish is equally inspired by Thai pad krapow, spicy minced chicken stir-fry tossed with holy basil. I’ve always had it served over rice, and it’s one of my favorite dishes to cook at home because of how quickly it comes together. Here, as in krapow, the aromatics from Thai chile and garlic infuse the meat and add a brightness that punctuates the rich sauce.
A note on substitutions:You can use ground chicken instead of thighs, but chopping the thighs yourself will give you meat that’s more succulent and juicy. You can use regular soy sauce instead of dark. And if you don’t have or can’t find tian mian jiang, substitute hoisin sauce and omit the additional sugar. —Betty Liu
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What you’ll need
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Tian Mian Jiang
$13 At Amazon
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Silicone Spatula
$13 At Amazon
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8-Inch Chef's Knife
$47 At Amazon
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Measuring Cups
$18 At Bon Appétit Market
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Small Bowl
$13 At Amazon
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Cutting Board
$10 At IKEA
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Measuring Spoons
$10 At Bon Appétit Market
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Medium Bowl
$17 At Amazon
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Large Skillet
$75 At Amazon
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Large Pot
$55 At Amazon
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Colander
$11 At Amazon
Ingredients
4 servings
Step 1
If using1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken thighs (about 4 small), cut into ¼" pieces on a cutting board with a chef’s knife. (To make this process easier, freeze chicken on a baking sheet 30 minutes, then cut chicken when it’s half thawed.) If you’re using1 lb. ground chicken, skip this step.
Step 2
Transfer chicken to medium bowl and wash cutting board and knife.
Step 3
Trim stems from2 cups shiitake mushrooms (about 5 oz.)and tear into 1" pieces.
Step 4
Coarsely chop5 garlic clovesand4 red or green Thai chiles. Add a pinch ofkosher saltand crush with the flat side of knife to a coarse paste (or pound in a mortar and pestle).
Step 5
Mix¼ cup tian mian jiang (sweet bean sauce),¼ cup red miso,¼ cup black vinegar,2 Tbsp. dark soy sauce(最好是Pearl River Bridge), and2 Tbsp. sugarin a small bowl to combine; set sauce aside. (If you don’t have or can’t find tian mian jiang, substitute¼ cup hoisin sauceand omit the additional sugar.)
Step 6
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook16 oz. fresh or dried thin wheat noodles(such as lo mein lamian, or ramen) according to package directions until al dente. Drain, rinse under cool running water, and set aside.
Step 7
Meanwhile, heat1 Tbsp. vegetable oilin a large wok or skillet over medium-high. Cook garlic mixture (the wok should be hot enough that it sizzles immediately), stirring constantly, until softened and fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add chicken and cook, stirring constantly, until pieces are just cooked through and no longer translucent, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate along with any juices.
Step 8
Wipe out wok and reduce heat to medium. Heat another1 Tbsp. vegetable oilin wok and cook mushrooms, stirring occasionally, until browned and softened, 6–8 minutes.
Step 9
Increase heat to medium-high. Add chicken mixture and any accumulated juices and reserved sauce and cook, stirring often, until sauce is dark, most of the liquid is evaporated, and everything is coated, about 5 minutes. Add 1 cup water to wok and mix gently to incorporate. Bring to a simmer then reduce heat to low. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thick and shiny (it should be about the consistency of gravy), 20–25 minutes.
Step 10
Coarsely tear a handful ofThai or holy basiland add basil and cooked noodles to chicken; toss gently to coat each strand with sauce.
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Reviews (1)
Back to TopThis recipe was incredibly flavorful! We often don’t have this sort of luck with recipes for Asian foods, holding the bold flavor of the sauce. We will come back to this recipe time and time again.
Christine
Charleston, SC
8/11/2023
