Shrimp Lo Mein

Brian and I came up with this recipe after making Chicken Lo Mein and finding it quite tasty. I looked up recipes for Shrimp Lo Mein, but everyone made it a bit differently. When we made this we added 1/2 tsp. Sriracha sauce as one recipe did. Shrimp usually goes well a touch of hot peppers but I was not fond of it in this recipe. I prefer lo mein made with chicken.

Note, when you make Lo Mein, you don’t stir fry the noodles. You stir in the noodles with the sauce so that every strand of the noodles are rich in flavors, and every mouthful of the noodles is velvety, silky and smooth. On the other hand, Chow Mein is stir-fried until crispy.

Shrimp:
1/2 pound shrimp, shells removed (use shells to make shrimp broth)

Marinade for shrimp:
3 teaspoons light soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
1/2 teaspoon sesame seed oil
1 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch

Sauce:
3/4 cup shrimp or chicken broth
3 tablespoons oyster sauce
3/4 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon corn starch

Other:
1/2 pound Chinese noodles (thin or thick noodles are fine)
1 cup shredded carrots (about 1 large carrot)
1 8-ounce can baby corn
(or) 1 can water chestnuts
1/2 cup sliced red pepper (Brian wanted to add this, I would try without next time)
3 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil for stir-frying, or as needed
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup fresh or canned bean sprouts
2 scallions, sliced thin on the bias

1. Mix the light soy sauce, rice wine or sherry, sesame oil and the cornstarch. Marinate the shrimp for 20 minutes.

2. While the shrimp is marinating, prepare the other ingredients: Combine the sauce ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
Cook the noodles in boiling water until they are cooked al dente (tender but still firm). This will take about 3 minutes for fresh noodles, and 4 - 5 minutes for dried noodles. Drain, rinse with cold water, and drain again.

3. Cut the carrot into thin strips to match the chicken. Rinse the straw mushrooms under running water to remove any "tinny" taste. Drain thoroughly.

4. Heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium high to high heat. Add the garlic, stir-fry for a few seconds until aromatic, then add the chicken. Stir-fry the chicken until it changes color and is 80 percent cooked. (If you need more oil, try adding 1 tablespoon water). Remove the chicken and clean out the wok.

5. Heat 2 tablespoons oil and the salt in the wok. Add the carrots and mushrooms. Stir-fry for 1 minute, then add the chicken. Add the noodles, stirring to mix in with the other ingredients. Add the sauce into the wok, mixing with the other ingredients. [Add the bean sprouts and sliced scallions, if adding. Cook 1 minute more.]

6. Cook for 2 more minutes. Taste and add salt or pepper if desired. Serve hot.

Serves 2 - 4