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Homemade Chinese Egg Noodles - Shrimp Lo Mein
Ginger and Scotch

Super Crunchy Shrimp Lo Mein

5 from 4 votes
Lo mein, like its cousin Chinese fried rice, is a versatile and easy dish that can be made with freshly-prepared ingredients or can give leftovers new life. Change up the ingredients and vary the sauce for endless combinations. You can also try this recipe with my homemade egg noodles from scratch recipe.

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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Servings: 6
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Chinese
Calories: 296
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Prep Shrimp for Max Crunchiness:
  • 1 lb Shrimp, cleaned and peeled
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
Prep Remaining Ingredients:
  • 4 tablespoons vegetable oil (divided)
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced (divided)
  • 4 oz ginger, minced (12 g, about a thumb-sized piece)
  • 1 small onion, sliced (red or yellow)
  • 2 cups cabbage or napa cabbage (thinly sliced)
  • 1 carrot (julienned-sized cuts)
  • 1 red pepper (julienned-sized cuts)
  • 7 g Chinese mushrooms (or 20 g which is about 8 medium-sized mushrooms or 4 large-sized mushrooms)
  • 4 oz dried Chinese egg noodles
  • salt and pepper, to taste
Prep Stir-fry Sauce:
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons oyster sauce (can replace with 2 tablespoons soy sauce if you don't have this in your pantry)
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 2 teaspoons corn starch
  • 1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine (Shaoxing wine) (optional, can substitute with a dry sherry)
  • 1/2 cup water or chicken stock (cold or room temperature so corn starch doesn't clump)
Garnish
  • 2 green onions (chopped)

Method
 

  1. Prepare Chinese Mushrooms: Re-hydrate the mushrooms in a bowl of boiling water. Set aside for least 30 minutes while your prepare the rest of the stir-fry ingredients. After 30 minutes, drain the mushrooms and slice thinly, discarding the tough center stem.
  2. Prep and Season Shrimp: De-shell your shrimp and clean it by rinsing in water and remove the black vein (or have your fishmonger do this). Drain and place in a small bowl.
    To make your shrimp extra crunchy, sprinkle the salt and baking soda over the shrimp and gently toss. Set aside while your prepare the remaining ingredients.
    Because you are using a small amount of baking soda, you do not need to rinse the shrimp before cooking it.
  3. Prepare Ingredients: Make sure all your stir-fry ingredients are cut, chopped and ready to go.
  4. Prepare Stir-fry Sauce: Make sure your sauce is mixed and ready to go. Note: Corn starch will clump if added to hot water so only use cold or room temperature water.
    Set sauce aside. You will need to mix it just before pouring it over the noodles as the corn starch will settle to the bottom of your mixing bowl.
  5. Prepare Noodles: Boil water and prepare the egg noodles per the package instructions. If you are using fresh egg noodles, boil them in water for a minute. Drain and set aside.
  6. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes.
  7. Add 1/3 of the minced ginger and 1/3 of the minced garlic and stir for 30 seconds.
  8. Add the shrimp and saute until they're just cooked - about 3-4 minutes depending on the size of your shrimp. Once the shrimps curl up then they are ready. Remove to a bowl and set aside.
    Do not clean the skillet before the next step because you want all that keep all that shrimp goodness to enhance the flavor to your finished dish.
    Sauteed Shrimp for Lo Mein
  9. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to your skillet as well as the remaining minced ginger and garlic and stir for 30 seconds.
  10. Toss in the vegetables: onions, cabbage, carrot, red pepper, and Chinese mushrooms. Add a sprinkle of salt to taste but not too much because you'll be adding soy sauce later. I added 1/2 teaspoon of fine sea salt. Add black pepper, to taste.
    Stir everything around until the veg are cooked, about 5 minutes.
  11. Add the shrimp back into the skillet along with the noodles. Pour the stir-fry sauce over the noodles and bring sauce to a boil then simmer for a a few minutes until everything is heated through and the sauce is thickened. (Corn starch will only thicken when the sauce is simmering/boiling).
  12. Garnish with the chopped green onions. Allow the green onions to sit in the skillet for 30 seconds before turning off the heat to remove some of the raw onion taste. Enjoy!

Notes