Lee says: “I am often asked for a noodle/chow mein dish, and this is my foolproof recipe for a very tasty chow mein to accompany other dishes or just on its own. It can be jazzed up with different meats and vegetables.”

Serves 4

Ingredients

350g dried egg noodles
vegetable oil, for frying
1 small onion, finely sliced
150g bean sprouts
1 teaspoon chicken or vegetable stock
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon white pepper
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil

Method

Prepare the noodles by rehydrating in cold water for at least 30 minutes until the strands are separable, then drain, pat dry and leave on top of some paper towels to remove excess water. (You can use fresh egg noodles too, if you wish.)

Heat two tablespoons of vegetable oil in a wok or large frying pan over a high heat, then fry off the onion and bean sprouts for two to three minutes. There will be a little bit of charring.

Then add the rehydrated noodles to the wok/frying pan and fry for a couple of minutes. Sprinkle the chicken or vegetable stock powder, salt, sugar and white pepper over the noodles, onions and bean sprouts, and toss together.

Add two tablespoons of dark soy sauce to the wok/pan, then fry for a further five minutes to give the noodles lots of flavour. Then drizzle the sesame oil around the edges of the wok to extract as much of its flavour as possible.

Top tip: Add leftover meats and vegetables to this dish to make it a full meal instead of just a side – it is so versatile.

Simply Chinese Feasts: 3 delicious recipes to celebrate the lunar new year with