Plate 06 of 10

Chowmein

Name: Chowmein
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Guyana
Ingredients: 450 g Dried Guyanese egg noodles, or fresh Chinese egg noodles; 500 g Boneless chicken thighs or breast, sliced into thin 1 cm strips; 200 g Bora, yardlong beans, cut into 3 cm pieces; 150 g Carrots, cut into fine matchsticks; 200 g Green cabbage, finely shredded; 60 g Scallions, in 2 cm batons; 25 g Garlic, finely minced; 15 g Fresh ginger, finely grated; 2 whole Wiri wiri peppers, seeded and minced; 45 ml Dark mushroom soy sauce; 30 ml Light soy sauce; 30 ml Oyster sauce; 15 ml Sesame oil; 5 g Five-spice, fennel-free and anise-free, of cinnamon, clove, Sichuan pepper, ginger and black pepper; 8 g Demerara sugar; 60 ml Vegetable oil, for the wok; to taste Fine sea salt and cracked black pepper

The Chinese-Guyanese wok dish found in every home and school canteen. Thin egg noodles boiled just short of al dente and rinsed cold, then flash-fried over maximum heat with marinated chicken, bora beans, carrot and cabbage in dark mushroom soy, oyster sauce and a fennel-free five-spice, finished with scallion and served with pepper sauce.

Prep: 30 min
Cook: 15 min
Serves: 6
Difficulty: Medium

Researched · Kitchen testing pending

A bowl of Guyanese chowmein: brown-glazed noodles tossed with chicken strips, red pepper, green beans and spring onion.

Chowmein is the legacy of the Chinese contract labourers who came to Guyana from 1853, mostly from Guangdong and Hong Kong, and who adapted Cantonese wok cooking to the Caribbean pantry. It is in every home, school canteen and Creole restaurant in the country.

Unlike Western takeaway chow mein, the Guyanese dish uses thin dried egg noodles boiled just short of done, dressed in dark mushroom soy and a local spice blend, and flash-fried in an iron karahi with marinated chicken, shredded carrot and cabbage and tender bora beans. It is finished with scallion and eaten with hot pepper sauce.

Ingredients

450 gDried Guyanese egg noodles, or fresh Chinese egg noodles
500 gBoneless chicken thighs or breast, sliced into thin 1 cm strips
200 gBora, yardlong beans, cut into 3 cm pieces
150 gCarrots, cut into fine matchsticks
200 gGreen cabbage, finely shredded
60 gScallions, in 2 cm batons
25 gGarlic, finely minced
15 gFresh ginger, finely grated
2 wholeWiri wiri peppers, seeded and minced
45 mlDark mushroom soy sauce
30 mlLight soy sauce
30 mlOyster sauce
15 mlSesame oil
5 gFive-spice, fennel-free and anise-free, of cinnamon, clove, Sichuan pepper, ginger and black pepper
8 gDemerara sugar
60 mlVegetable oil, for the wok
to tasteFine sea salt and cracked black pepper

Dry noodles, or glue

Noodles boiled 3 to 4 minutes, rinsed cold and tossed in oil carry no surface starch and no free water. Wet noodles drop the wok below 150 °C and steam into a gummy mass.

Wok hei

At 190 °C in an iron karahi, droplets of oil vaporise, catch in the heat column above the pan and deposit smoky pyrolytic compounds on the food. That is the breath of the wok, and it needs maximum heat and constant tossing.

The five tastes on this plate

Salt is light and dark soy in the noodles and chicken. Fat is the wok oil and a finishing thread of sesame. Acid is the mild acidity of alliums and fermented soy. Heat is minced wiri wiri and black pepper. Umami is mushroom soy, oyster sauce and seared chicken.

Equipment

14-inch carbon-steel wok, or a 12-inch heavy stainless skillet
Two wok ladles or spatulas
Large pot and colander, for the noodles

A round-bottomed carbon-steel wok over a high-output flame is the Guyanese iron karahi's equal. On a domestic stove use the largest burner on its highest setting and work in one fast batch.

Method

Parboil the noodles6 min
Cook the noodles in a large pot of boiling water 3 to 4 minutes until flexible but firm. Drain, rinse under cold water for a minute, drain thoroughly, toss with 15 ml oil, and spread on a tray to cool.
Cook the noodles in a large pot of boiling water 3 to 4 minutes until flexible but firm. Drain, rinse under cold water for a minute, drain thoroughly, toss with 15 ml oil, and spread on a tray to cool.
Marinate the chicken15 min
Toss the chicken strips with 15 ml light soy, half the garlic, half the ginger, the five-spice and black pepper. Marinate 15 minutes.
Toss the chicken strips with 15 ml light soy, half the garlic, half the ginger, the five-spice and black pepper. Marinate 15 minutes.
Mix the sauce2 min
Whisk the dark mushroom soy, the remaining light soy, oyster sauce, Demerara sugar and sesame oil.
Whisk the dark mushroom soy, the remaining light soy, oyster sauce, Demerara sugar and sesame oil.
Sear the chicken4 min
Heat the wok over high until it smokes. Add 30 ml oil and the chicken and stir-fry hard 3 to 4 minutes until golden and cooked through, 75 °C. Remove.
Heat the wok over high until it smokes. Add 30 ml oil and the chicken and stir-fry hard 3 to 4 minutes until golden and cooked through, 75 °C. Remove.
Stir-fry the vegetables4 min
Add the remaining oil to the smoking wok, then the rest of the garlic and ginger and the wiri wiri for 30 seconds. Add the bora and carrot and stir-fry 2 minutes over high heat, then the cabbage for 1 minute until crisp-tender.
Add remaining oil to the smoking wok; stir-fry remaining garlic, ginger and wiri wiri 30 seconds. Add bora and carrot; stir-fry on high 2 minutes. Add cabbage and cook 1 minute until crisp-tender.
Noodles, chicken and sauce4 min
Add the cooled noodles and the chicken on top of the vegetables. Pour the sauce over evenly. With two spatulas, toss continuously over maximum heat 3 to 4 minutes, lifting from the bottom so the noodles caramelise against the hot metal.
Add the cooled noodles and the chicken on top of the vegetables. Pour the sauce over evenly. With two spatulas, toss continuously over maximum heat 3 to 4 minutes, lifting from the bottom so the noodles caramelise against the hot metal.
Finish and serve
Fold in the scallion batons for the last 30 seconds. Tip onto a platter and serve at once with pepper sauce, pickled onion and, if you like, chicken gravy.
Fold in the scallion batons for the last 30 seconds. Tip onto a platter and serve at once with pepper sauce, pickled onion and, if you like, chicken gravy.
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Sensory cues of doneness
- Visual: tangled, glossy mahogany noodles studded with bright green bora, orange carrot and seared chicken.
- Auditory: a loud hiss as the cold noodles meet the smoking wok, and crackling as the pan is tossed.
- Olfactory: smoky sesame and dark soy, ginger, garlic and warm cinnamon and clove.
Look for glossy mahogany noodles with bright bora, carrot and seared chicken. Expect a loud hiss and crackle during tossing, with smoky sesame, dark soy, ginger, garlic, cinnamon and clove aromas.

Troubleshooting

Soggy, gummy noodles.: Over-boiled, or not rinsed cold. Boil to al dente and cool completely before frying.
Pale noodles with no depth.: Light soy stood in for dark mushroom soy. The dark soy is the glaze and the umami.
Waterlogged vegetables.: The wok was covered. Flash-fry uncovered over maximum heat.

Substitutions

One-to-one swaps, with the technique change each one needs.

Ingredient substitutions

Ingredient	Replace with	Culinary impact and technique adjustment
Bora	Fine green beans or sugar snap peas	One-to-one
Egg noodles	Dried ramen without the seasoning, or fresh lo mein	Fresh noodles need only 1 to 2 minutes in the pot
Oyster sauce	Vegetarian mushroom stir-fry sauce or kecap manis	One-to-one

Scaling

Half

Halve everything and stir-fry in one batch in a 12-inch skillet.

Double

Double the ingredients and fry in two separate batches. One big batch drops the wok heat and steams the noodles.

What to serve it with

Guyanese pepper sauce, wiri wiri in vinegar
Fried chicken wings and pickled vegetables
Chilled Banks, ginger beer, or a cold cream soda

Questions

How is it different from Chinese chow mein?

Bora beans, wiri wiri, a distinct spice blend, and it comes to the table with pepper sauce and pickles.

Can I use fresh lo mein?

Yes. Boil fresh noodles only 1 to 2 minutes before rinsing and drying.

Is the spice blend fennel-free?

Yes. Commercial five-spice often carries star anise and fennel; this one is cinnamon, clove, Sichuan pepper, ginger and black pepper only.