Pork Chow Mein with vegetables

Description:
A mixture of vegetables adds colour and a freshness to this lovely pork Chow Mein that is ready in under 30 minutes.

Main ingredients:
Alcohol, Pasta & Noodles, Vegetables, Oil, Spice, Stock/Broth, Garlic, Herbs

Cuisine:
Asian

Ingredients:
25g dried Chinese mushrooms or shiitake
Chicken or vegetable stock
340g Chinese egg noodles
2 tbsp sunflower oil
1 large garlic clove, crushed
1 tbsp fresh root ginger, finely chopped
1 fresh red or green chilli, seeded and finely chopped
2 tsp five-spice powder
200g pork fillet, trimmed and cut into strips
2 green peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
190g baby corn
100g small broccoli florets
2 celery sticks, thinly sliced
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp rice wine (sake or mirin) (found in large supermarkets or Asian supermarket) or dry sherry
100g bean sprouts
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh coriander
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
Fresh coriander leaves to garnish

Method:
Place the mushrooms in a small bowl and pour in enough boiling water to cover them.
Soak for 10 minutes. Line a sieve with muslin or kitchen paper and place it over a bowl, then pour the mushrooms and their soaking liquid into it.
Measure the strained liquid and make it up to 100 ml with chicken or vegetable stock if necessary, then set aside.
Discard any tough stalks from the mushrooms, slice them and set aside.
Place the noodles in a large mixing bowl and pour in enough boiling water to cover them generously.
Leave to soak until tender, around 4-5 minutes then drain well and set aside.
Heat a wok or large frying pan over a high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil and when it is hot, stir in the garlic, ginger, chilli and five-spice powder.
Stir-fry for 30 seconds, taking care not to let anything burn.
Add the strips of pork and continue stir-frying for about 2 minutes or until they are cooked through.
Use a slotted spoon to remove the pork from the wok and set aside.
Add the remaining oil to the wok and heat until it is almost smoking.
Stir in the peppers, baby corn broccoli, celery and mushrooms, and stir-fry for 2 minutes.
Stir in the mushroom liquid, soy sauce and rice wine or sherry, then return the pork to the wok.
Stir continuously until the pork is heated through.
Add the noodles, then the sprouts and toss together briefly, just long enough to heat the through.
Stir in the chopped coriander and sprinkle with the sesame oil.
Serve immediately, garnished with coriander leaves.

Serves: 4
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 5 minutes
Recipe Type: Dinner, Family Dinners, Quick Meals
Level of Difficulty: Easy