Cook 12oz. thin spaghetti, vermicelli or Lo Mein noodles, to al dente, rinse to prevent sticking and set aside while you make the sauce, prep your vegetables and thaw 14oz. red Argentinian shrimp
My Just-Created, All-Purpose ASIAN SAUCE:
3T dark, toasted sesame oil
3T mushroom soy sauce
3T sweet chili sauce
1-2T Better Than Bouillon - lobster
~ (vegetable or chicken will also work)
1t fresh ground black pepper
1/8-1/4t cayenne pepper
2-3t cornstarch
3/4c fresh cold water
1-2t cornstarch
Whisk all these together over medium heat. Bring to a low bubble for just a few minutes until the sauce thickens. Do a taste test and make any changes you'd like, then set this aside until the end. This turned out great. Might be a bit salty or peppery for some, so taste as you go.
VEGETABLES:
Use whatever you have on hand, that would go well in Lo Mein.
Most of what's on my tray today should be recognizable, but in case you don't know, I have 2 large purple shallots and 1 big brown radish in this mix. Radish, when stir-fried, still has a great crunch and adds a peppery bite of heat you can't get from most other vegetables. Also, a giant clove of garlic that I remembered after I took the photo.
In addition to, or in place of, what's shown here, you could use fresh or frozen peas, pea pods, thin sliced green beans, leeks, green onion, broccoli, asparagus. Thin sliced Napa cabbage, bok chop, dinosaur kale, spinach. . .Be creative! It doesn't have to stick to exact traditional rules, more what you and your family love. . .
Slice or chop everything so it'll all be crisp-tender after a quick stir-fry. Start cooking the hardest ingredients first, that need the most time. For this recipe it was a little bit of shallot and garlic and 2T olive oil in a hot pan. In went the celery, carrot, then a few minutes later, mushrooms and zucchini. I let that sizzle for a couple minutes before transferring it to a big pot. When adding all the rest to the now fairly dry pan, I poured in about 2/3c of Oolong tea I made earlier, and, a handful of finely chopped candied ginger, which weighed less than an ounce. Sizzle that until the cabbage and shallots are wilting and a bit translucent. Transfer this to the big pot.
Now add a couple tablespoons of dark toasted sesame oil and the shrimp, that have each been cut in thirds. Stir that around the pan for 3-4 minutes. Into the pot with that, then it's time for the partially cooked Lo Mein noodles. As the noodles begin to sizzle, stir in about half the sauce. Keep it all moving just until each strand is covered. . .and then. . .you guessed it! . .Into the big pot! Gently combine everything and taste to see if more sauce is needed. I took these photos before tasting, having used only half the sauce, but it needed more. I used almost the entire 11oz. that this recipe made.
This turned out so well, especially for a first attempt! Lots of putzy little steps to get things just right, but the end result was worth it. I'll definitely make this again. Well, a similar version I should say. Next time with green onion and cilantro. Not sure that's in authentic Lo Mein, but again, cooking is an art form. While there's a lot of science to the process. . .
The end result is Your Art!
Happy Creating! . .Lin
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