Recipe: Traditional Taiwanese Chow Mein (Gu Zao Wei Chao Mian)

Serves 2

If you were to ask my dad which of all the dishes my mom makes is his favourite, he would say Taiwanese chow mein. This recipe has been perfected and passed down from my grandma. It has the perfect combination of salty and slightly sweet and uses simple pantry condiments for the sauce. My mom made it all the time when we first immigrated to Canada because of how accessible all the ingredients were. Don’t leave out the fried shallots—they make this dish truly special.

Ingredients

Sauce

• 2 tbsp black vinegar
• 1½ tbsp light soy sauce
• 1½ tbsp vegetarian oyster sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp ground white pepper

Chow mein

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 shallots, thinly sliced
• 1 cup thinly sliced shiitake mushrooms
• ½ cup dried shrimp
• 140 g pork belly, thinly sliced
• 2 cups finely chopped white cabbage
• ½ cup grated peeled carrot
• ¼ cup water
• 1 package (180 g) fresh thick chow mein noodles
• 2 tbsp fried shallots (see page 63)
• 2 scallions, both white and green parts, cut into 2-inch pieces

Method

Make the sauce: In a small bowl, stir together the black vinegar, light soy sauce, vegetarian oyster sauce, sugar and white pepper.

Heat the olive oil in a large wok over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the shallots, mushrooms and dried shrimp and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, until the mushrooms start to sweat. Add the pork belly and sauté until the pork is no longer pink, another 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the cabbage and carrots and mix together. Pour in the water, cover with the lid and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the cabbage starts to soften. Add the noodles, fried shallots and the sauce and mix well. Cover and cook until the noodles are fully cooked, another 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the scallions, increase the heat to high and sauté for another 1 to 2 minutes, until fragrant. Serve immediately.