Emeril's Fall River Chow Mein

1/4 cup dried shiitake mushrooms

1/2 cup boiling water

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 cup diced onions

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

1/4 teaspoon celery salt

3 cups low-sodium beef broth or beef stock

3 tablespoons cornstarch

2 teaspoons gravy enhancer, optional, for color only (recommended: Kitchen Bouquet)

2 teaspoons soy sauce

2 teaspoons dark corn syrup

1 cup diagonally sliced celery, about 1/4-inch thick

2 cups shredded, cooked chicken

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 recipe Fall River Chow Mein Noodles, recipe follows

Place mushrooms in a small bowl and cover with the boiling water. Allow mushrooms to stand for 5 minutes, or until slightly softened. Remove mushrooms and reserve for another use. Reserve 1/3 cup of the mushroom-soaking liquid.

 

Heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 1/2 cup of the onions and cook until slightly softened but not browned, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and celery salt and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add 2 1/2 cups of the beef broth and the reserved mushroom-soaking liquid and bring to a boil.

 

In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 1/2 cup beef broth, cornstarch, gravy enhancer, and soy sauce. Add the cornstarch mixture and the corn syrup to the saucepan and return the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes, or until the gravy is slightly thickened. Keep warm until ready to serve.

 

In a medium wok, heat the remaining vegetable oil over high heat. Add the remaining onions and the celery and cook until softened, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the chicken and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook until chicken is heated through, about 2 minutes. Ladle 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the reduced gravy mixture into the chicken mixture, tossing to coat well, and remove from the heat. Place Fall River Chow Mein Noodles in the bottom of a dish and top with the chicken mixture. Ladle gravy over the chicken and noodles and toss to combine. Serve immediately.

Fall River Chow Mein Noodles:

2 cups vegetable oil

4 sheets egg roll wrappers, cut into thin strips (about 1/8 to 1/4-inch wide each)

 

Heat vegetable oil in a skillet or pan with deep sides until it reaches 350 degrees F. Fry the strips of egg roll wrappers in the hot oil, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until crispy and golden brown. Remove from the heat with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Serve with Emeril's Fall River Chow Mein.

 

Yield: 4 servings