Bao Buns
Vivian Chan-Tam
86 ratings with an average rating of 4 out of 5 stars
86
2 hours 25 minutes
Smoky Lo Mein With Shiitake and Vegetables
- Total Time
- 15 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
Advertisement
Ingredients
Yield:2 to 3 servings
- Kosher salt
- 8ounces fresh Chinese egg noodles (see Note)
- Rice bran, peanut, canola or other neutral, high-temperature frying oil
- 4ounces fresh shiitake mushroom caps, thinly sliced
- 4ounces Napa or green cabbage, thinly sliced
- 1small carrot, peeled and cut into thin matchsticks
- 1small yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
- 3scallions, trimmed, cut into 2-inch segments, then thinly sliced lengthwise
- 3medium garlic cloves, minced
- 1tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 1tablespoon Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
- ½teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- ¼teaspoon white pepper
- 2ounces mung bean sprouts (about ¾ cup), sprouted end picked off and discarded
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (3 servings)
362 calories; 5 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 1 gram monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 67 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams dietary fiber; 7 grams sugars; 15 grams protein; 581 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered byPreparation
- Step 1
Bring a large pot or wok of salted water to a boil. Cook noodles for 1 minute, then drain thoroughly and transfer to a sheet tray. Toss noodles with 1 tablespoon neutral oil to prevent sticking, spread into a single layer and set aside.
- Step 2
Using a paper towel, rub a very thin film of neutral oil into a wok or skillet, then set over high heat until lightly smoking. Add 1 tablespoon neutral oil and swirl to coat. Add the shiitake mushrooms, cabbage, carrot and onion, and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Toss a few times, then let the vegetables sit without disturbing until lightly charred on one side, about 20 seconds. Toss and stir, then let them sit and char again. Repeat several times until the vegetables are tender-crisp and lightly charred on multiple surfaces, 2 to 5 minutes total.
- Step 3
Transfer vegetables to a sheet tray and spread into a single layer. Place the tray of vegetables and the tray of noodles on a heatproof surface, such as on top of your burner grates.
- Step 4
Ignite your blowtorch and, holding the flame 2 to 3 inches above each tray, sweep across the vegetables and noodles until a smoky aroma reaches your nose, about 15 seconds per tray. (You should hear a distinct crackle and see small bursts of orange flame as the oil on the vegetables and noodles jumps and combusts.) Toss the noodles and the vegetables with a pair of tongs, and torch again.
- Step 5
Wipe out the wok and return to high heat until lightly smoking. Add 1 more tablespoon of neutral oil and swirl to coat. Add the scallions and garlic and stir-fry until fragrant, about 10 seconds. Immediately add the vegetables and noodles to the wok and stir-fry until homogenous. Add a small amount of neutral oil to the edge of the wok, and on the same spot, add the soy sauces and wine, which should sizzle immediately.
- Step 6
Add sesame oil, white pepper and mung bean sprouts. Toss everything in the wok until coated in sauce and the bean sprouts are lightly wilted, about 30 seconds. Add more neutral oil as necessary to keep noodles loosened. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve immediately.
Tip
- For this recipe, look for noodles labeled “lo mein.” The ingredients should contain wheat flour and eggs. If you can’t find fresh Chinese egg noodles, you can use fresh linguini or spaghetti in its place.
Private Notes
Leave a Private Note on this recipe and see it here.
Cooking Notes
Vicki
In lieu of a blowtorch, is there any way you could approximate wok hei by putting ingredients on a sheet pan that is close to a hot broiler?
Ashley
I also used broil for 5 minutes instead of blowtorch and it worked well. And I substituted Mirin for Shaoxing wine. It tasted great!
Sarah
For those of you concerned about carcinogens, this article is helpful: https://wapo.st/2Rgtgn3. (Or just read this quote: "Provost [a chemistry prof at U of San Diego] emphasizes the concentration and the duration of the exposure is what’s key, so if you’re a line cook burning a lot of food and then inhaling the smoke, it could be an issue. For home cooks who generate a little smoke now and then, 'you’re not going to hit the point where it’s going to be toxic,' he says.")
Justin
The method looks interesting, but I've heard a lot about how heating oils past their smoke point, or worse yet literally igniting them, is likely carcinogenic. Is this method gaining flavor at the expense of toxicity?
HBN
I had some leftover roasted vegetables I added to the mix (zucchini and eggplant) - yum. Also no blowtorch in the house, so I improvised and added about a teaspoon of smoked paprika to the boiling water for the noodles. It definitely added a smoky flavor and everyone asked for seconds.
Bahram Keramati
1. Too much noodles. Cut in half! 2. Not enough vegetables. Triple the cabbage (it wilts to nothingness). Could use more mushrooms also. 3. Use only light soy sauce. Enough flavor!
TwinklyTerrapin
I didn't bother faffing about with the blow torch, but still managed to get plenty of wok hei-ness. I cooked the vegetables in two batches, so they got a nice smokey scorch just from the heat of the frying pan (the Nest fire alarm complained), and sizzled the soy sauces as directed. I cooked the noodles for three minutes, then drained them well and added them to the pan without tossing them with oil. This was the best stir fry I've made, and I'm definitely going to make it again.
Rick Perlmutter
To manage a nice smokey flavor for my lo mein, I have long used LIQUID SMOKE, a product that is available in just about every super market. I simply add a tablespoon of it into the sauce mixture. Liquid smoke is simply the product of smoking wood and then using the condensate from that process. It is quite natural.
Bryan
This is excellent. I didn't have a blow torch so I placed the noodles/veggies on a sheet trail and broiled for 5 minutes, turning the tray occasionally. Used regular spaghetti and sake instead of Shaoxing because it was what I had on hand. Really authentic and smoky flavor!
Leslie Dumont
So interesting that folks actually like that gasoline taste! I’ve always considered it a downside. Which is why I make my cream brûlée under the broiler rather than with a torch. To each their own!
Brandi
I don’t have a torch & my broiler’s such a weenie that my hair wouldn’t burn if I stuck my head in there, so I didn’t get much wok hei but it was still delicious. Also, I chunked some chicken thighs, marinaded them in shio koji, cooked them up separately & threw them in at the end. YUM.
kf
Tasted pretty good although I didn’t have a blowtorch. I tried the broiler method that previous posters had suggested. Didn’t really get the smoky flavor. Also, the recipe says you can do this in 15 minutes. That time is WAY OFF. It took closer to an hour after all the veggie prep work, boiling water etc.
matt
How about adding a bit of brandy and flambé it instead of a blow torch?
Karina
I didn’t have a blow torch so I skipped that step and added some smoked paprika like the other suggestion. Pretty good! Also substituted bok choy for cabbage and added zucchini. Threw a little fish sauce on top for added flavor
Me
I also used broil for 5 minutes instead of blowtorch and it worked well. And I substituted Mirin for Shaoxing wine. It tasted great!
katy
Thought this was very bland, had to cut with rice wine vinegar
DW2
Definitely needs less noodles and more vegetables, but the final result was great.
Lola
Novice cook here so I followed the recipe/cook directions closely (sans mushrooms--not a fan + broccoli & stir-fried chicken) and it was fabulous! I agree with another reader about the time involved to make this-- just the prep time alone was very time consuming (my knife skills are beginner). I got a really good scorch on the veggies and then did use the blow torch. In hindsight, I don't think the torch was necessary. This recipe is a keeper but does take a lot of work/steps.
U
V good. Next time, would do in iven under broiler for smokiness and less oil. Haf with Shirataki noodles, which worked great.
Amy
Whoever can make this in 15 minutes, please come prep veggies for me.
alicia
no way is the 15 minutes!! All the prep takes quite some time and then you have to separately blow torch the noodles and the veggies. It was tasty but the work involved was quite involved and it never got a really smokey flavor even thought we followed all the directions to the T.
Chris de
Added 1 lb. home-smoked beef tenderloin (which I had in the freezer) instead of torching the veggies. Also added snow peas and sliced celery, and used baby bok choi instead of Napa cabbage. Mirin instead of wine/sherry, and added oyster sauce and hoisin as suggested by other reviewers.
Cesaera.
Made a double batch. Used a larger variety of veg ( julienned red peppers and julienned snow peas). Thought it needed more sauce, which is easy to fix. Used a blow torch that attaches to a handheld bottle of propane for the charring of the noodles and veg. Everyone went back for seconds. Could definitely taste a flavor enhancement by using the torch. Will use the torch every time.
Theresa
This was fine - i used udon noodles to make it vegan. like others, i broiled the vegetables, and also followed to recommendation to add some smoked paprika. i like my noodles saucy so i doubled the liquid, which worked. it seemed a little bland at the end so i hit it with some smoked salt for an extra punch. overall easy, but definitely didn’t come together in 15 minutes. not sure it outranks simpler noodle stir fries.
Diane
This was excellent. To get the smoked flavor, I followed the advice of adding smoked paprika to the noodle water as it boiled. It worked well. I did not use a wok. I just sautéed all the veggies. It turned out well. Family asked for seconds.
Jeanine
Sunday evening meal - started the dish thinking it would be a slam dunk - the torching of the dish was one step too many and the broiler never "browned" the noodles. So I served the dish without the "smoky" element. Fantastic dish still! I added 3/4 green beans and sliced red pepper to use up the end of my weekly produce - highly recommend this dish for just that use!
CC
Made this exactly according to recipe, and it was not bad but not good. My brulee torch was too small to color the noodles and veg as called for, so I browned each in their own trays under the broiler according to comments from other users, which is also not the answer. The veg got overcooked, and the noodles dried out and clumped together. It was edible but not good. Overall, underseasoned. Needs a sauce. The search for the perfect, authentic lo mein recipe continues.
LM
Substituted celery for cabbage; cut 2 carrots instead of 1. Added 2 tsp. paprika to vegetables as they were cooking. Found flavor lacking and added 1 Tbsp. oyster sauce at end. Did everything on the stove, no blow torch needed.
Angela
Not as good as the Jane Brodie recipe
Gale S
Delicious and made as written. We have made it several times. My only comment is that the veggies take on a supporting role as they shrink into mere slivers. They do add lots of flavor.
Private notes are only visible to you.
Advertisement
