The Chinese New Year is a very exciting time. The Chinese calendar has been in continuous use for centuries, so each New Year is cause for a celebration. Each Chinese New Year has three names. One is the animal name. The year is the Year of the Dog. The twelve animal names (Rat, Ox, Tiger, Hare, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Boar) recycle every twelve years. The year may also go by its formal name (this year’s formal name is bingxu) or by its year in the Chinese calendar (4703).
To honor the New Year, here is a great recipe for Singapore Noodles by one of my favorite chefs, Ming Tsai. Singapore noodles are not really found in Singapore, but were created by European restaurants as a Chinese dish. Regardless, you will love this tasty recipe.
You will need 1 pound of thin rice noodles, 1 pound of baby shrimp (without shells, deveined, and rinsed), 1 skinless chicken breast, white wine, soy sauce, cornstarch, white pepper, canola oil, minced ginger, scallions batons, minced garlic, 1/2 pound of bean sprouts, 1 red bell pepper, 1 medium onion, eggs, and Madras curry powder.
Soak your pound of rice noodles in cold water for two hours then drain. Slice your chicken breast into 1/4-inch strips. Julienne your red bell pepper and onion.
About an hour and a half into your noodle soaking, mix 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 1/4 cup of wine, 1 tablespoon of cornstarch, and 1/2 teaspoon of white pepper in a large bowl. Add the pound of shrimp and strips of chicken breast and let this marinate for 20 minutes.
In a hot wok coated with canola oil, fry 1 tablespoon of minced ginger, 1/2 cup of scallions batons (1 inch length), and 1 tablespoon of minced garlic. Add your marinated shrimp and chicken to the wok and stir-fry for 30 seconds to one minute. Remove the shrimp and chicken and in the same oil, fry 1/2 pound of bean sprouts, red bell pepper, and onion. Cook for one minute then place this in a dish. Wipe out your wok, then coat with oil again. When hot, add 2 beaten eggs, turning your pan quickly to form an egg pancake. While the eggs are still somewhat fluid, add your pound of rice noodles. Stir and fold the noodles to break up the egg into small pieces. Continue to stir and add 2 tablespoons of Madras curry powder. When the noodles are steaming, add the shrimp, chicken, and vegetables back and continue to stir.
Serve on an oval platter and let your family enjoy!