064 / 75 · Make the Most of What Is Left
Chicken and Vegetable Crisp-Pan Noodles
2 crisp noodle cakes cut into halves, with chicken-vegetable gravy; 1 half-cake and one-quarter of the gravy per serving · Active 30 min · Total 40 min
Print recipe · PDFCooked noodles take a different shape when they are pressed into a skillet and left to form a crisp cake. A little beaten egg holds the strands together without hiding them. A thick chicken and vegetable gravy is spooned over at the table, keeping part of each cake dry enough to show its golden crust. This uses a modest amount of cooked chicken across four portions.
The pan needs contact, not stirring
Separate the noodles before mixing in the eggs. Long, well-drained wheat noodles make a cake with visible strands; noodles that are swimming in sauce are not suitable for this base recipe. Spread half the mixture into the pan, press it into an even layer and leave it alone. Stirring turns the dish back into scrambled noodles. A nonstick skillet is useful because the underside has to release in one piece. Keep the layer fairly thin so the middle heats through before the outside becomes too dark.
Turn the cake with a plate
A wide spatula supports only part of a noodle cake. Sliding it onto a plate, covering it with the skillet and turning them together provides more support. Use oven mitts and a heatproof plate that is wider than the pan. Move away from the heat while turning and keep any loose oil in the skillet to a minimum. If the cake breaks, simply press the sections back together for the second side. The result still makes a crisp base; it does not need to be a perfect restaurant circle.
Gravy should settle on top
Cut the carrot into thin matchsticks and shred the cabbage so they cook quickly in the small amount of gravy. The flour and stock should form a sauce that coats the chicken and vegetables, rather than a broth that immediately floods the plate. Add cooked chicken late enough that it stays in pieces, then verify it has reheated fully. Bring the gravy to the table separately if some eaters prefer more crisp edges. Spoon it across the center and leave the outside of the noodle cake visible.
Ingredients
- About 3 cups plain cooked wheat noodles, promptly chilled and well drained (400 g)
- 2 large eggs (100 g without shells), beaten
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil (30 ml), divided for the noodle cakes
- 1 teaspoon neutral oil (5 ml), for the gravy
- 1 medium carrot (100 g), cut into thin matchsticks
- 2 cups finely shredded cabbage (150 g)
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (8 g)
- 1 1/4 cups chicken stock (300 ml)
- 7 oz cooked skinless chicken, promptly chilled (200 g), torn into bite-size pieces
- 2 teaspoons reduced-sodium soy sauce (10 ml)
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper (0.5 g)
Set out
8-inch/20 cm nonstick skillet, Medium saucepan, Wide heatproof plate, Mixing bowl, Spatula, Food thermometer, Oven mitts
Allergens
Egg, Soy, Wheat. Check labels and substitutions.
Make it
- Break up and drain the cold noodles, then mix with the beaten eggs. Heat 1 tablespoon/15 ml oil in the skillet over medium heat. Spread in half the noodles as an even cake about 1/2 inch/1 cm thick. Cook without stirring for 6–7 minutes until the underside releases and is golden.
- Slide the cake onto the heatproof plate. Away from the heat, invert the skillet over the plate and carefully turn them together, using mitts, so the uncooked side lands in the pan. Return to medium heat for 5–6 minutes, until crisp and 165°F/74°C in the thickest part. Move to a warm plate. Repeat with remaining noodle mixture and 15 ml oil.
- While the cakes cook, heat the gravy oil in the saucepan over medium heat. Cook carrot and cabbage for 5 minutes, stirring. Add flour and stir for 1 minute, then gradually add stock. Simmer for 5 minutes until the vegetables are tender and the gravy thickens.
- Add cooked chicken, soy sauce and pepper to the gravy. Simmer for 4–5 minutes, stirring, until the chicken and sauce reach 165°F/74°C. Add a tablespoon of water only if needed to keep the gravy spoonable.
- Cut each noodle cake in half. Serve one half-cake with one-quarter of the hot chicken-vegetable gravy.
A small portion of chicken does a clear job
The chicken is part of a substantial gravy, not a garnish scattered over plain noodles. Tear it into modest pieces so it is distributed evenly, and divide the entire gravy between the four servings.
Ingredient labels
Check noodle, soy sauce and stock labels; some stock also contains celery or milk.
A useful detail
The 40-minute total starts with plain cooked, chilled noodles and cooked chicken. Sauced noodles contain different amounts of liquid and seasoning and are not interchangeable here. Initial noodle and chicken cooking are not included.
Another way
- Replace the cooked chicken with the same weight of cooked turkey, keeping the same reheating temperature.
- Use 200 g drained canned white beans instead of chicken and vegetable stock instead of chicken stock for a meatless version; heat the gravy fully before serving.
Keep it well
Use noodles and chicken that were cooled promptly, kept at 40°F/4°C or below and cooked no more than 2 days earlier. This recipe reheats them to 165°F/74°C. Eat the cakes and gravy promptly and do not plan another cool-and-reheat cycle; scale the batch down if needed. Their original storage clocks remain in effect.