Old-Fashioned Chicken Chow Mein

Chow mein like we used to eat in East Meadow in the 50s - from DRosengarten.com

Makes 4 servings

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 cups celery thinly sliced on the diagonal (about 1/8″ thick)
2 cups thinly sliced onions (about 1/8″ thick) Made mine thicker
1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken meat, cut into pieces about 1/2″ wide or 1/2 pound shrimp or pork or a mix

2 firmly packed cups shredded Napa cabbage (pieces about 1/2″ wide)

1 1/2 cups fresh mung bean sprouts (or canned)

I added a few water chestnuts and cooked mushrooms too, but these are optional

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 cup chicken stock
about 5 teaspoons cornstarch
2 cups cooked white rice
1 cup chow mein noodles (crispy room-temperature ones)

1. Place a very large wok over high heat, and let it sit for a minute (you don't need a wok - I used a dutch oven).
Add the oil, spilling it around the sides of the wok. When it’s smoking (just hot), toss in the celery and the onions. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of the sugar over them, and stir well. Stir-fry for 2 minutes, then push the celery-onion mixture to the side of the wok, leaving the center empty.

2. Season the chicken well with salt. If the empty space in the wok is dry, add a little more vegetable oil. Add the chicken to the center of the wok and stir-fry until the chicken browns slightly, and loses its pink-red color (about 2-3 minutes). Toss with celery and onions, bringing the mass into the center of the wok. I added cooked shrimp after everything else was done ...

3. Add the cabbage and bean sprouts to the wok, tossing with the other ingredients already in the wok. Add the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of sugar, and toss again. Turn heat down to medium-high, and let mixture cook for 5 minutes; the vegetables should start losing their distinctness, merging together.

4. Add the soy sauce and toss. Add the stock and toss.
 When the stock starts to boil, mix the cornstarch in a small bowl with a little water until a milky liquid is formed. Making sure the chow mein is boiling, add most of that liquid to the wok, stirring immediately. If you’d like the chow mein to be a little thicker, add more cornstarch mixture. Remove chow mein from heat.

5. Divide the rice among 4 plates or bowls, spreading rice out across the bottoms of the plates or bowls. Top each plate or bowl with 1/4 of the chow mein mixture, then divide chow mein noodles over the tops of the 4 plates or bowls. Serve immediately.(I hate when recipes say this - it is just fine reheated in the microwave!