Loh Mee

Ingredients

• ½ lb chicken breast
• ⅓ lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 4 cups chicken or seafood stock
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 3 tbsp water
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• ½ lb fresh egg noodles or thin wheat noodles
• ¼ cup fried shallots
• 2 stalks scallions, sliced into thin rings
• ¼ tsp white pepper

Instructions

1. 1

   Pat the chicken breast dry with paper towels, then place it on the cutting board and cut it crosswise into thin strips about the thickness of a pencil, roughly 1/4-inch wide, because thin pieces cook quickly and evenly.

2. 2

   Place each shrimp on the cutting board and pat it dry with a paper towel, keeping the shrimp still while you pat so it does not move around.

3. 3

   Pour the cornstarch and 3 tablespoons of water into a small bowl, then whisk them together until the mixture is completely smooth with no lumps, which will thicken the soup when added.

4. 4

   Pour the 4 cups of stock into a large pot and set it over medium-high heat until the surface breaks into a steady, rolling boil with large bubbles rapidly breaking across the top, about 6–7 minutes.

5. 5

   Add the chicken strips to the boiling stock and stir gently with a spoon once every 15 seconds until the chicken is completely opaque and no pink remains inside the pieces, about 3–4 minutes.

6. 6

   Add the shrimp to the pot and stir gently, then cook without stirring until the shrimp curl into tight C-shapes and turn completely pink with no gray remaining, about 2 minutes.

7. 7

   Pour the cornstarch slurry slowly into the center of the pot while stirring constantly with a whisk in circular motions, breaking up any white clumps that form, until the broth turns opaque and glossy, about 1–2 minutes.

8. 8

   Stir in the 2 tablespoons of soy sauce with a spoon using circular motions for 20 seconds until the color is evenly brown throughout.

9. 9

   Taste the broth by carefully taking a small spoonful and sipping it — if it needs salt or soy flavor, stir in an additional 0.5 teaspoon of soy sauce and taste again.

10. 10

    Meanwhile, bring a separate large pot of salted water (about 6 cups) to a rolling boil over high heat, about 6–7 minutes, watching for large bubbles breaking across the surface continuously.

11. 11

    Add the noodles to the boiling water and stir immediately with a fork to separate them, then cook according to the package directions, usually 2–4 minutes, until they bend easily when you lift one with a fork but still have a slight firmness when you bite.

12. 12

    Pour the noodles into a fine-mesh strainer placed in your sink and let the water drain away completely, shaking the strainer gently side to side every few seconds for about 20 seconds total.

13. 13

    Divide the drained noodles evenly between two large bowls, mounding them in the center of each bowl with the back of a ladle.

14. 14

    Ladle the hot soup and broth over the noodles in each bowl until the liquid comes about 1 inch above the noodles, making sure to divide the chicken and shrimp pieces equally between the two bowls.

15. 15

    Sprinkle 0.125 cup of fried shallots evenly over the surface of each bowl in a light, scattered layer.

16. 16

    Scatter half of the sliced scallions over each bowl, placing them randomly across the top of the soup.

17. 17

    Sprinkle 0.125 teaspoon of white pepper over each bowl, distributing it evenly across the surface for a subtle heat and aroma.

18. 18

    Serve immediately while the soup is still steaming, reminding diners that the shallots will soften slightly but remain crispy on the outside.

Tools you’ll need

• cutting board
• chef's knife
• paper towels
• small bowl
• whisk
• large pot (8-quart capacity)
• wooden spoon
• second large pot (8-quart capacity)
• fork
• fine-mesh strainer
• soup ladle
• two large soup bowls

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