Chinese egg noodles are long, very thick, dense noodles often served with stir-fries and in Asian-style soups. Cooks often love them because they cook quickly, absorb flavors easily, and add bulk and nutrition to meals for very little money. There are dozens of ways to serve Chinese egg noodles, they just have to be cooked properly first. Each cook may then add them his or her favorite recipe, or make up a new one. In fact, some cooks on a budget like to keep Chinese egg noodles on hand to stretch many different kinds of meals.
Called dan mein in Chinese, these egg noodles are frequently used in lo mein and chow mein dishes. Cooks can find Chinese egg noodles both fresh and dried in most grocery stores — they’re usually located in the Asian food section. Both kinds of noodles should be boiled before they’re mixed with any other ingredients. This starts with well-salted, boiling water. Fresh noodles should be cooked for about three minutes, while dried noodles usually need about five minutes. The cook can test the noodles, when they’re firm but not hard, they’re ready to eat.
When making chow mein with Chinese egg noodles, the cook usually places a handful of cooked pasta down into a hot, oiled pan. The noodles should form a rough circle and begin to sizzle immediately. The cook should flip the noodles when they begin to turn slightly golden-brown. After that, the chow mein sauce and vegetables can be poured on top. This dish is usually made in individual portions. The cook places each fried noodle circle into a shallow, warmed bowl and pours the other ingredients on top. The dish is then served immediately.
For lo mein, the cook usually adds the sauce, veggies, meat, and spices to the stir-fry pan first. When all of those ingredients are cooked, the Chinese egg noodles go in. In lo mein, the noodles are just warmed through, not fried. This dish is also eaten immediately, though it can be served family style, right from the pan. The cook doesn’t need to make individual portions of this dish unless he or she wants to.
Many cooks also enjoy serving Chinese egg noodles in soup. When served this way, the noodles are almost always pre-boiled and then placed into deep, warmed bowls. A broth is poured over them, along with any other soup ingredients. Miso broth is a very popular topping for Chinese egg noodles, along with chives and pieces of chicken.
