Author Notes
For New Year and birthdays, it's customary to wish people a long life by serving this symbolic dish. It's important to never cut the noodles and leave them as long as possible. If you make your own noodles, you can make them even longer than what you might find at the market. If you aren't able to make your own noodles, you can use store-bought or dried fresh noodles instead.
NOTE: After you cut the noodles, you can freeze them to use later. Place the noodles in small bundles on the parchment-lined baking sheet, freeze for about 1 hour, then transfer the bundles to a ziplock bag to finish freezing. When ready to cook, do not defrost. Drop the bundles of frozen noodles into boiling water and cook for 4 to 6 minutes.
Featured In: Extra-Long Noodles Star in This Lucky, Scrumptious Lunar New Year Feast —Hsiao-Ching Chou
Ingredients
- For the Sauce:
-
1 cup
water
-
2 tablespoons
soy sauce
-
1 tablespoon
hoisin sauce
-
1 teaspoon
minced fresh ginger
-
1
stalk green onion, finely chopped
-
1
large clove garlic, minced
- For the Noodles:
-
2 1/2 cups
all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
-
3/4 cup
warm tap water
-
1/2 pound
raw shrimp, size 16/20, peeled and deveined
-
1 teaspoon
soy sauce
-
2 teaspoons
cornstarch
-
1 tablespoon
plus 1 teaspoon vegetable oil, divided
-
1
stalk green onion, cut into 2-inch segments
-
1/2
medium carrot, julienned (about 1⁄2 cup)
-
3-4 cups
roughly chopped greens, such as baby bok choy, yu choy, or Chinese broccoli
-
1/2 teaspoon
sesame oil, for drizzling
-
Kosher salt
Directions
-
To make the sauce, in a small bowl, put the water, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, ginger, onions, and garlic, and mix well. Set aside.
-
Put the flour in a large bowl, and gradually add the water. Using a rubber spatula, wooden spoon, a pair of chopsticks, or your fingers, stir the water and flour together. Continue to stir gently until the dough starts to form into a ball. Now, using your hands, knead the dough and incorporate any remaining flour. Knead the dough a few times to make a ball. The dough should feel slightly tacky but not damp. It should not stick to your fingers.
-
Lightly dust your work surface with flour. Remove the dough from the bowl and knead for about 2 minutes, or until smooth. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rest for at least 20 minutes. (While it doesn’t need much longer than that, it won’t hurt the dough if it happens to rest longer.)
-
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
-
Once rested, lightly dust your work surface with our, and knead the dough by hand for about 2 minutes, or until smooth. Divide the dough into four sections and work with one section at a time. Shape each piece of dough roughly into a rectangle. (If you start with a rectangular shape, you are more likely to roll out a rectangular sheet.)
-
Roll out the first piece of dough, trying your best to maintain the rectangular shape, until it is about 1⁄8 inch thick. It will be slightly thinner than a store-bought our tortilla. The rolled-out dough will be about 18 inches long by 7 to 8 inches wide. Dust your work surface and the dough generously with our as you go.
-
Once you have rolled out the rectangle, trim any stray edges so that you have relatively even sides. Dust the surface with flour. Fold the rectangle of dough in half lengthwise, so that you join short edge to short edge. Dust the dough with our and fold that in half again. Turn the dough so that the folds are facing you. Using a sharp knife, cut noodles that are about 1⁄4 inch in width. Dust the cut noodles with our and use your hands to unfurl the strands. Place the noodles in a loose bundle on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with each of the remaining sections of dough. (To cook the noodles later, see note.)
-
In a large pot over high heat, bring about 4 quarts of water to a boil. Set 1 cup of cold tap water on the counter next to the stove.
-
In a medium bowl, put the shrimp and soy sauce, and mix well. Add the cornstarch and mix well again. Set aside.
-
When the water is boiling, drop the noodles into the pot. Stir immediately to keep the noodles from clumping. The noodles will take about 3 to 5 minutes to cook, so don’t walk away. When the water begins to bubble up, add about 1⁄2 cup of the cold water to keep the noodles at a manageable simmer. Add additional cold water as needed. Test a noodle. It should be cooked through but still have a tiny bit of chew. Drain and use immediately.
-
If you aren’t using the noodles immediately, you can “shock” them under running cold tap water to cool them and keep them from becoming a giant noodle brick. When ready to serve, dip the noodles in hot, simmering water for about 1 minute to bring them back to temperature.
-
Preheat a wok over high heat until wisps of smoke rise from the surface. Add 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil and heat for about 5 seconds, or until it starts to shimmer. Add the shrimp and, using a spatula, stir-fry the shrimp for 2 to 3 minutes, or until they turn pink. Remove the wok from the heat, transfer the shrimp to a medium bowl, and set aside. Rinse the wok and dry with a towel.
-
Return the wok to the stove over high heat. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon vegetable oil and the onions, and stir for about 5 seconds to release the aroma. Add the carrots and greens, and stir-fry for about 1 minute to combine. Add the shrimp and the sauce, and stir again to combine. Add the noodles and carefully stir-fry to mix with the other ingredients for about 1 minute, or until the sauce has penetrated the noodles. It may be helpful to use tongs. Once well combined, drizzle the sesame oil over the noodles.
-
Remove the wok from the heat. Add a dash of soy sauce or a pinch of salt to taste, if needed. Serve.
Hsiao-Ching Chou is the author of "Chinese Soul Food: A Friendly Guide for Homemade Dumplings, Stir-Fries, Soups and More." She lives in Seattle with her family. Text her cooking questions via her messaging service: 206-565-0033.
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