Ken Hom's prawn chow mein recipe

Recipes

Ken Hom
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Featuring fragrant, juicy prawns sitting pretty in a tangle of gleaming fresh egg noodles, with beansprouts for crunch and soy and sesame sauces providing plenty of flavour, this chow mein recipe is a standout version of the takeaway classic.

We wouldn’t expect anything less from legendary chef, author and television personality Ken Hom, who created this dish inspired by the idea that ‘staying in is the new going out’. Given that this tasty, tangy number takes a mere 10 minutes to cook, we couldn’t agree more.

The perfect midweek meal, it also looks and tastes special enough for a Friday night feast – serve as is or accompanied by leafy greens (think spinach and pak choy) stir-fried with ginger, garlic and soy sauce.

Things to note:

Take care not to overcook the prawns, or they’ll go tough. When you first cook them, do so over a high heat for 3 minutes, until pink.

For US ingredients and measurements, use the drop-down menu and select 'Cups'.

Ingredients

For the marinade:

2 tbsp light soy sauce (we like Lee Kum Kee Premium Light Soy Sauce)
1 tbsp sesame oil (we like Lee Kum Kee Pure Sesame Oil)
1 tbsp rice wine
2 tbsp cornflour

2 tbsp light soy sauce (we like Lee Kum Kee Premium Light Soy Sauce)
1 tbsp sesame oil (we like Lee Kum Kee Pure Sesame Oil)
1 tbsp rice wine
2 tbsp cornflour

2 tbsp light soy sauce (we like Lee Kum Kee Premium Light Soy Sauce)
1 tbsp sesame oil (we like Lee Kum Kee Pure Sesame Oil)
1 tbsp rice wine
2 tbsp cornstarch

For the chow mein:

2 tbsp vegetable oil
200 g raw prawns
300 g fresh egg noodles
3 spring onions, trimmed and sliced
300 g beansprouts
3 tbsp dark soy sauce (we like Lee Kum Kee Premium Dark Soy Sauce)
1 tbsp sesame oil (we like Lee Kum Kee Pure Sesame Oil)
100 g basil, finely chopped

2 tbsp vegetable oil
7.1 oz raw prawns
10.6 oz fresh egg noodles
3 spring onions, trimmed and sliced
10.6 oz beansprouts
3 tbsp dark soy sauce (we like Lee Kum Kee Premium Dark Soy Sauce)
1 tbsp sesame oil (we like Lee Kum Kee Pure Sesame Oil)
3.5 oz basil, finely chopped

2 tbsp vegetable oil
7.1 oz raw shrimp
10.6 oz fresh egg noodles
3 scallions, trimmed and sliced
10.6 oz beansprouts
3 tbsp dark soy sauce (we like Lee Kum Kee Premium Dark Soy Sauce)
1 tbsp sesame oil (we like Lee Kum Kee Pure Sesame Oil)
3.5 oz basil, finely chopped

Details

Cuisine: Chinese
Recipe Type: Main
Difficulty: Easy
Preparation Time: 30 mins
Cooking Time: 10 mins
Serves: 2

Step-by-step

In a large bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, sesame oil, rice wine and cornflour (cornstarch). Add the prawns (shrimp), turning to coat. Leave to marinate for 15 minutes.
Set a wok with the vegetable oil over a high heat. Once hot, add the prawns (shrimp) and stir-fry for 3 minutes. Drain the prawns (shrimp) and set aside.
Return the wok to the heat. Add the noodles and spring onions and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add the beansprouts and dark soy sauce, stirring constantly.
Return the prawns (shrimp) to the wok and toss everything together. Mix in the sesame oil and basil and serve immediately.

Adapted from a recipe by Ken Hom for Lee Kum Kee. Image courtesy of Lee Kum Kee.

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Ken Hom’s Sichuan prawns in chilli sauce

Ken Hom’s stir-fried chicken with peppers

Chicken chow mein

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