Sesame Soy Chicken With Ginger-Scallion Noodles

Sesame Soy Chicken With Ginger-Scallion Noodles

Every time I return to my native Hong Kong, I visit one of the city’s famed cha chaan teng, the noisy diners known for cheap, satisfying meals and brusque service. I once had a dish there that I’ve been making at home ever since: Instant ramen tossed in ginger-scallion sauce, topped with a pan-fried chicken cutlet and a fried egg. The yolk broke and ran over everything, mixing with the oil until the two became a rich and savory coating. The ginger-scallion sauce is the engine here — make it once and it keeps all week, improving poached chicken, pork chops and even a bowl of plain rice.

Yield: 4 servings

For the chicken and noodles

4 boneless skinless chicken thighs (or deboned skin-on thighs)

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon sugar

½ teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal), plus more for seasoning

½ teaspoon white or black pepper, plus more for seasoning

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil

1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine or dry sherry (optional)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided

4 instant ramen bricks

4 eggs

Chile oil or chile crisp (optional)

For the ginger-scallion sauce

6 medium scallions sliced, white and green parts

2 ounces ginger, peeled and minced

1 teaspoon kosher salt, such as Diamond Crystal (If not using fish sauce, use 1 ½ teaspoons salt.)

½ teaspoon sugar

½ cup vegetable oil 

½ teaspoon fish sauce (optional)

At least 2 hours before serving, cut a number of slits into the chicken thighs without piercing them completely (if using deboned skin-on chicken, cut slits on the meaty underside of the thighs). Place thighs in a bowl, and add soy sauce, sugar, salt and pepper, minced garlic, toasted sesame oil and Shaoxing wine if using. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and allow to marinate in the fridge.

Make the ginger-scallion sauce: In a small heat-safe bowl, combine scallions, ginger,salt and sugar. Mix thoroughly to release some of the liquid. Let sit for at least 5 minutes. 

Add the oil to a small saucepan and heat until it reads 325 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. Carefully pour the hot oil into ginger-scallion mixture. The mixture will immediately sizzle. Add fish sauce if using, stir, and let cool. (Sauce can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to one week.) 

When ready to eat, bring a large pot of water to boil. Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to a large (12-inch) nonstick or well-seasoned cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Sear chicken thighs until beautifully brown, about 5 minutes on each side. When the chicken is cooked (it should register at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit with an instant-read thermometer), remove from heat onto a plate.

Cook the ramen bricks in the pot of boiling water according to package directions. Divide cooked noodles among four bowls, and spoon a generous tablespoon of ginger-scallion sauce and its flavored oil onto the noodles, tossing to combine. Slice each thigh into strips and lay over each bowl of noodles. Spoon more ginger-scallion sauce onto the chicken.

In the same pan you used to cook the chicken, add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the drippings and fry four eggs sunny-side up. Lightly season with salt and pepper. Drape one fried egg each over each bowl and add chili oil or chili crisp if desired. Break the yolk over noodles, chicken, and sauce. 

Tip: Here’s one idea for using up leftover ramen seasoning packets from Lucky Peach magazine: Add it to sour cream to make a potato chip dip.

It's Kevin Pang, the recipe developer here. The standard chili crisp for Chinese families is the brand Lao Gan Ma, which you can find online or from an Asian grocer. I've also found ones from Fly By Jing and Momofuku to be quite good (those can be found at Whole Foods).

5 stars for this ginger-scallion sauce alone. Seems like a crazy amount of ginger when you're chopping it, but use the full amount and DON'T skip the fish sauce. Added sautéed cabbage, carrot, and red pepper to the noodles, and swapped ground turkey for the chicken (it was what I had in the freezer, but will definitely be making it again with the chicken in the future).