Email to Snu Me      

Chinese Noodles with 5-Spice Beef & Shiitake Mushrooms

List of Ingredients

--2 1/2 cups water

-- 1/2 ounce dried shiitake mushrooms

--1 pound flank steak, thinly sliced against the grain

--Salt to taste

-- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil

--4 garlic cloves, minced

-- 1 teaspoon 5- spice powder

--1 tablespoon butter

-- 1/4 pound fresh shiitake mushrooms, caps removed and thinly sliced

-- 2 tablespoons soy sauce

-- 1 tablespoon dry sherry or Chinese rice wine

--1 pound fresh chow mein-style egg noodles

-- 2 green onions, thinly sliced

-- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds (optional)




Recipe

INSTRUCTIONS: Start bringing a large pot of salted water to a boil for the noodles. Meanwhile, boil 2 1/2 cups water in a small saucepan. Add the dried shiitakes, cover and simmer for 3 minutes. Drain liquid into a bowl, then squeeze the liquid from the mushrooms into the bowl. Set the mushrooms and liquid aside separately.

Salt the steak pieces. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a wok or large saucepan over high heat. Add half of the minced garlic and the 5-spice powder. Stir in the meat and stir-fry until browned and just cooked through, about 2-3 minutes. Remove the meat from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Add the butter and 1 tablespoon of the oil to the pan. Add the remaining garlic and saute, stirring frequently, over medium heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Increase the heat to medium-high and add the fresh and the dry shiitakes with 1/2 cup of the reserved mushroom-soaking water. Saute, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms are tender, about 3 minutes.

Return the meat to the pan and add the soy sauce and sherry. Increase the heat to high and stir for 1 minute. Add the remaining mushroom-soaking water (except the last few tablespoons, which may contain dirt particles).

Meanwhile, cook the noodles in the large pot of boiling water according to package directions until tender. Drain well.

Remove the mushroom mixture from the pan and set it aside. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan and place the pan over high heat. Add the noodles and stir for 1 minute. Return the mushroom- meat mixture to the pan. Stir quickly to heat through, then garnish with green onions and sesame seeds.

Serves 4.

PER SERVING: 708 calories, 37 g protein, 68 g carbohydrate, 32 g fat (8 g saturated), 200 mg cholesterol, 454 mg sodium, 4 g fiber.

In this recipe from Working Cook columnist Tara Duggan, shiitake mushrooms and beef match beautifully with earthy 5-spice powder -- a mix of equal parts ground star anise, Szechuan peppercorn, fennel seed, cloves and cinnamon. Five-spice powder and fresh Asian egg noodles are available at Asian markets and many supermarkets.
From San Fransisco Chronicle