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This week kicks off with Titus Wang, Sous Chef at New York City’s Annisa, where the 27-year-old Taiwan native has worked his way up the ranks after starting as an intern. He shares with us a simple recipe for a personal late-night favorite of his: Stir-Fried Noodles with Chicken, Ginger and Basil. See the full story at SousChefSeries.com, or try his recipe below.
Stir-Fried Noodles with Chicken, Ginger and Basil
1 pound cooked Chinese egg noodles (or cooked spaghetti)
¼ cup untoasted sesame oil
One 2-inch piece fresh ginger–scraped, halved crosswise and each half sliced lengthwise into thin planks (8 to 10 pieces total)
8 medium garlic cloves, peeled and left whole
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs sliced into 1-inch pieces
2 red chiles (such as Fresno chiles), halved lengthwise
¾ cup Chinese rice wine (or dry sherry or dry sake)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
5 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced on a bias
1 cup Thai basil leaves (or ⅔ cup mint leaves and ⅓ cup basil leaves), roughly torn if large
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. In a large pot of salted, boiling water, blanch the noodles for 15 to 30 seconds, just to loosen them. Drain and set aside.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Add the sesame oil and ginger and cook until fragrant, stirring often, about 1 minute. Add the garlic and cook, stirring often, until both the ginger and garlic are golden, about 1 minute longer.
3. Stir in the chicken and cook, stirring often, until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the chiles, rice wine, soy sauce and sugar and cook until the chicken is cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes longer.
4. Stir in the scallions and noodles and turn off the heat. Add the basil, toss to combine, season with salt and pepper and serve.