Seafood Crispy Noodle 海鲜生面

Finally, a break from all the readings and writings! Well there isn't really a break, I am just declaring one myself lol. Here comes my next simple post (can't believe that it has been close to a month since the last!). The truth is, I had made this dish with all the pictures taken a long long while ago. Only, the writing part and the assembly of everything obviously did not happen until now.

This dish was a call I knew I had to make to answer my then serious cravings for wat tan hor 滑旦河 (a Cantonese style of pan fried kuey teow in egg gravy). Again, with what I can find rummaging through my fridge and pantry, this Seafood Crispy Noodle 海鲜生面 is the closest that I can get.

It was through my mom-in-law when I first learned how to cook the wat tan hor. She wasn't exactly making the wat tan hor (using kuey teow) then; it was the vermicelli version of wat tan hor 滑旦米粉 (using vermicelli). The vermicelli version of wat tan hor is better known as something else but oh well, my personal translator is off at work! lol. I shall be back and make amendments to that when I get the chance! Anyway, you can be using any kinds of these noodles - kuey teow 河粉, vermicelli 米粉, chow mein 广东幼炒面, or yee mein 伊面 even.

Oh, how I wish I can get the yee mein that we so commonly use for the Malaysian style of claypot yee mein 瓦煲伊面 here!

Ok, back to the reality. The concept to the making of this dish using any of those noodles is essentially the same. It is after all, the gravy that matters most. With the chow mein that I am using, I made it a point to deep fry the noodles in batches before pouring the gravy over it. This gives an extra crunch to the dish - a huge plus! That, of course, is optional. As with the gravy, it is really flexible in terms of the choice of ingredients you can use - seafood, any kind of meat or just vegetables and tofu - they all work great! Once you have got them all lined up ready for the wok, cooking this is just a breeze...

Seafood Crispy Noodle 海鲜生面 
Serves 2
7oz fresh chow mein (the one that I used goes by the brand Prime Food 嘉嘉)
1 squid
10 shrimps, skinned and deveined
12 bay scallops
3 pcs tofu fish cakes (or any other kinds of fish cakes)
1 pc chicken breast, excess fat trimmed
1 handful Chinese mustard green (choy sum), rinsed and drained
1 medium-size carrot
2 eggs
8 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsps cooking oil + enough oil for deep frying

Chicken marinade
few dashes of white pepper powder
1½ tsps light soy sauce
1/4 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp corn starch

Gravy (per serving)
3/4 cup chicken stock
3/4 cup water
1 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp light soy sauce

For thickening
3 tbsps corn starch dissolved in 3 tbsps water

1. Thinly sliced the chicken breast.

2. Marinate chicken with the chicken marinade and leave for at least an hour or two in the refrigerator.

3. Cut the squid open, discard the innards. You can choose whether or not to keep the tentacles. Rinse clean. Half the squid lengthwise. Score the squid by making uni-direction cuts, diagonally. Be sure not to apply too much pressure that it cuts through the thickness. When done, score the squid in another direction, creating diamond-shape cuts. Cut the squid into smaller pieces after that. Set aside.

4. Slice the fish cakes thinly. Cut the vegetables into 2" sections, separating the leaves and stems. Peel and slice the carrots.
5. Heat up enough oil for deep frying in a wok on high. Make sure the oil is well heated before deep frying. As usual, I tested its readiness using a wooden chopstick. Streams of bubbles seen signify that the oil is ready. Turn the heat down to medium-high.

6. In two separate batches, gently lower half the noodle, spreading them around the wok. The noodles will start to take shape in just a few seconds. Once it browns on the bottom, carefully flip it over to fry the other side. Remove and let rest on a plate lined with paper towels. Repeat with the other half of noodle.
7. Working on one single portion at a time, bring the cooking oil to heat on high in a large skillet. Once well heated, add in the minced garlic and stir-fry until fragrant, lightly browned. Add in the marinated chicken next. Break the clumpy chicken pieces up as you stir fry. Keep stirring until the meat changes color. The fish cakes and carrot slices go in next.
8. Pour in the gravy and bring to boil. Add in the choy sum stalks, let cook for about a minute, and add in the leaves next.
9. Add in shrimps, squids and scallops next. Thicken the gravy with the corn starch slurry. Add in about 1/2 a tbsp each time until it reaches your preferred consistency. You may want to work with a little speed here - those seafood won't taste as good when overcooked.
10. Break in an egg, and stir to mix everything well.

11. Transfer the noodle onto a serving plate. Ladle the gravy over the noodles. Serve with birds eye chilies (or pickled chilies) in soy sauce!

p/s Optionally, you can choose to cook both portions together and separate them out at the end of it. It works fine either way.