Wok Noodles with Chicken and Vegetables

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   How do you make a chicken stir-fry? Get all your ingredients ready. Start with the vegetables and chicken; later, once they're cooking in the pan, you'll deal with the udon noodles. So wash and peel all the vegetables, and core and seed the pepper. The carrot is best cut into thin matchsticks on a mandoline, but if you don't have one, cut it by hand into long strips (1 to 2 inches / 3–5 cm) about 1/16 inch (2 mm) thick.

2. Step 2:

   

   Now cut the bell pepper into long, thin strips (1 to 2 inches / 3–5 cm) with a knife. Any color works, but red makes for a more colorful dish.

3. Step 3:

   

   Dice the onion small. Mince the garlic clove with a knife or press it. Cut the green onion into small pieces.

4. Step 4:

   

   Cut the chicken into cubes of about 1/2 inch (1 cm).

5. Step 5:

   

   Pour a little vegetable oil into a wok (or a heavy-bottomed skillet if you don't have one) and add the diced onion and minced garlic. Fry, stirring constantly, until lightly golden. Then add the rest of the vegetables, the green onion, and the chicken. Stir-fry until the meat starts to brown.

6. Step 6:

   

   Now pour in half a cup of water and the soy sauce, and sprinkle in the ground ginger. Stir everything together and cover the pan. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft and the sauce thickens. Add salt if it needs it.

7. Step 7:

   

   Boil the noodles in salted water according to the package directions, then drain them in a colander. There's no need to rinse the noodles for this recipe.

8. Step 8:

   

   Add the noodles to the pan with the chicken and vegetables, toss everything together well, and cook another 3 to 4 minutes over low heat. Taste, add a little more salt if needed, and toss again.

9. Step 9:

   

   I used a large carrot and a large bell pepper here, so if yours are on the small side you may want more than the recipe lists. Really, though, it's a matter of taste — don't be shy about adding vegetables, they won't hurt the dish.