Longevity Noodles

Longevity Noodles

Serves 6
Celebrate Lunar New Year, or any other happy occasion, with delicious noodles that symbolize long life and prosperity. No need to save this recipe for a special celebration though—you'll want to put this simple, savory dish into your regular menu rotation!

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds fresh miki or yakisoba noodles
  • 4 tablespoons vegetable oil (divided)
  • 1 pound (about 5) baby bok choy
  • 1 bunch (about 6) green onions
  • 7 ounces Chinese BBQ pork (char siu) (sliced into matchsticks)
  • For Sauce:
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce (See Cook's Tips)
  • 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper

Optional Ingredients

  • Black and white sesame seeds
  • Chili oil
  • Sambal oelek (Indonesian ground chili sauce)

Directions

  1. Under running lukewarm water, gently separate noodles in a large colander. Shake and allow to drip dry.
  2. Combine sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Stir until sugar and salt dissolve.
  3. Cut bok choy into 1/4-inch slices, keeping stems and leaves separated. Cut green onions into 2-inch pieces and then thinly slice lengthwise, keeping green and white parts separated. Set aside.
  4. Place a wok or heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high to high heat. Add 2 tablespoons oil. Just before it reaches the smoking point, add mushrooms and stir fry 1 minute. Add stems of bok choy, white parts of green onion, and BBQ pork. Stir fry 30 seconds or until they begin to soften. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon sauce, and stir to combine. Remove from pan and set aside.
  5. With heat still at medium-high to high, pour 1 tablespoon oil down and around sides of pan. Gently add half the noodles. Make sure they are not dripping wet or the oil will splatter. Using a long spoon or spatula in each hand, repeatedly lift noodles to toss and heat through. Drizzle with half the sauce. Add half the cooked vegetable mixture and half the uncooked bok choy and green onions. Continue tossing to combine. Transfer to a warm serving dish.
  6. Repeat step 4 with remaining ingredients. Add this batch to the other and toss gently to mix. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve immediately with chili oil and sambal on the side.

Cook Tips

To use dried shiitake mushrooms, place mushrooms in a bowl and cover with hot water. Place a plate on top to keep mushrooms submerged as they rehydrate (about 20 minutes). Drain. You can save the liquid to add flavor to soups and stews, if you like.

For a more complex flavor, use half regular soy sauce and half dark soy sauce.