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Crispy Lo Mein

cooked in the style of tahdig

Good old STEVIE CHU!!!! I love this kid. If you know Steve, then you know he is a monster (in the best way possible).

I’ve known Steve for a couple of years now and I can’t imagine my life without him. He’s a fellow Marylander, born and raised in Baltimore, and the co-founder and co-owner of Ekiben, an Asian-fusion spot with 3 locations in Baltimore. If you are ever in the Bmore area, I urge you to go. The tempura broccoli is my personal favorite, and they even do a cheesesteak egg roll (which maybe we should cook together next time?!).

Anyway, Steve is the best and truly one of the nicest and most down to earth people you’ll meet. He’s incredibly gracious and talented, and when I spoke to him about coming to cook something with me for my newsletter, he booked a train ticket up almost immediately.

The idea for what we decided to make was all Steve. At the time, I didn’t have a Tik Tok (but I do now! follow me there @faridehisthebest !!) and Steve had been seeing a lot of people making Persian makaroni: spaghetti layered with a bolognese-style sauce, then cooked as you would tahdig. The result is a gorgeous pasta dish, steamed the same way you would tahdig, then flipped out to reveal crisp noodles on top. Steve had the brilliant idea to try this with lo mein: It truly is the combination of our backgrounds (his being Chinese and mine being Iranian // Italian).

We didn’t test this ahead of time to see if it would work—we just grabbed the ingredients and made it the day we filmed, and HOLY CRAP. Truly mind-blowing. The secret is definitely to get the lo mein sauce super thick and to undercook the noodles. In doing those two things, the sauce absorbs into the noodles so that they’re cooked to perfection, and the sauce seeps throughout the dish.

Oh, and that crispy noodle layer? Yep, perfection.

Serves 4-6
Prep time: 25 minutes
Total time: 2 hours

INGREDIENTS

6 tablespoons|90 ml vegetable oil
6 ounces| grams napa cabbage
1 bunch scallions, julienned
12 ounces|340 grams thinly sliced beef
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 (2-inch) piece ginger, peeled and julienned
4 tablespoons|60 ml soy sauce
¼ teaspoon granulated sugar, plus more to taste
1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 cup|250 ml chicken stock
¼ cup|60 ml oyster sauce
1 teaspoon MSG
4 tablespoons cornstarch
3 ounces|90 grams bean sprouts
1 large carrot, peeled and julienned
1 pound|454 grams lo mein noodles
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a wok over high. Add the cabbage and scallions and cook until charred, about 2 minutes, then set aside on a plate.

2. Add another tablespoon of oil to the wok and add the beef. Cook until starting to char, about 2 to 3 minutes, then add the garlic and half of the ginger. Cook 2 minutes more, then add 2 tablespoons of the soy sauce. Season with ¼ teaspoon of sugar, then set aside with the cabbage and scallions.

3. Add another tablespoon of oil to the wok along with the onion. Cook 1 to 2 minutes, then add the remaining soy sauce, plus the chicken stock, oyster sauce, and MSG and bring to a simmer. Mix the cornstarch with 3 tablespoons of water, then slowly pour into the mixture. Cook, stirring, until very thick, about 2 minutes, then add the reserved cabbage and beef, plus the bean sprouts and carrot. Season with sugar and set aside.

4. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook until not even cooked, about 3 minutes. Strain and run under cold water.

5. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a medium nonstick saucepan fitted with a lid over medium-high. Add the turmeric and toast for about 1 minute, then pack in about ⅓ of the noodles. Top with ⅓ of the sauce, then repeat layering with the remaining noodles and sauce, alternating and ending with the sauce. Wrap a towel around the lid and cover the pot. Cook on medium-high for about 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to low and cook 40 minutes. 

6. Run the base of the saucepan under cold water, then take off the lid and put a large plate on top. Quickly and carefully invert the pot so that the tahdig and noodles release onto the plate. Slice it up and enjoy!

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Discussion about this video

That dish looks like it taste amazing. I’ll have to try it out. But in the DMV, Virginia is the only place that matters.

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I’m just playing around.

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Yes I am TOTALLY jealous!! Damn this looks so good. I am definitely going to make this!!! You and Steve are my favorite duo 🤪😍🤪

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even more than chocolate and peanut butter?

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Let's say you are both as good as a classic duo like chocolate & peanut butter! Lol

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Tasty Eastern food! Wonderful! Says Farideh's dad! Mom says YUM!

Let's make it when you come home!

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