Longevity noodles (yi mein)

Yi mein are flat Cantonese egg noodles known for their golden hue and pleasant chewiness. Their 'long life' symbolism makes them staples at Chinese celebrations such as birthdays, weddings, and new year banquets. In this recipe yi mein are tossed with a rich sauce and a variety of Asian mushrooms.

• serves

  4

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  10 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

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Ingredients

• 8 dried shiitake mushrooms
• 600 ml boiling water
• 360 g e-fu noodles
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 100 g enoki mushrooms, trimmed and broken into clumps
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• 2 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
• ½ tsp sugar
• 1 bunch garlic chives, cut into 5 cm pieces
• 2 tsp cornflour, dissolved in ¼ cup water
• shaved truffle (optional), to serve

Standing time: 10 minutes

Instructions

1. Soak the shiitake mushrooms in the boiling water for about 20 minutes. Drain and slice the mushrooms, reserving the soaking water.
2. Meanwhile, bring a saucepan of water to the boil and drop in the e-fu noodle cakes. Separate with chopsticks for about 20 seconds until they soften, then drain and rinse in cold water. Drain again.
3. Heat a wok over high heat and add the oil. Fry the garlic for about 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add the shiitake and enoki mushrooms and fry for about 1 minute. Add the Shaoxing wine against the side of the wok, then add the sauces, sugar and about 375 ml (1½ cups) of the shiitake steeping liquid. Bring to a simmer, then add the drained noodles and garlic chives. Toss to coat in the sauce while the noodles absorb the flavour, using a little cornflour to thicken it if needed.
4. Serve with truffle shaved over the top.

 

Photography by Kitti Gould.

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Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

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