Cherry & Dennis Helper Habitat
Indonesian Bakmi Ayam Chicken Noodles
印尼雞絲麵
Recipe overview
Fresh noodles are tossed in a sesame-soy bowl base and topped with 74°C chicken thigh, shiitake and crisp-tender bok choy in a glossy sweet-savoury sauce.
01
Ingredients
Main ingredients
- 500 g fresh egg noodles
- 500 g chicken thigh
- 200 g bok choy
- 150 g shiitake mushrooms
- 10 g garlic
- 2 L water for boiling noodles and greens
Chicken-mushroom sauce
- 2 tbsp sweet soy sauce
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1/2 tsp ground white pepper
- 240 ml unsalted chicken stock
Bowl seasoning
- 2 tsp sesame oil
Cooking oil
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
02
Tools
- Chef’s knife and two chopping boards
- Measuring spoons and small bowls
- Small frying pan
- Noodle pot and colander
- Probe thermometer
- Clean deep serving plate
03
Steps
Step 1
Cut chicken, shiitake and bok choy
Dice chicken thigh into 1.5 cm pieces; slice mushrooms and chop bok choy stems and leaves separately.
Step 2
Mix the chicken-mushroom sauce
Mix sweet soy sauce, light soy sauce, oyster sauce, white pepper and 80 ml chicken stock.
Step 3
Sauté the garlic
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a small pan over medium-high heat and saute garlic for 30 seconds.
Step 4
Brown the chicken pieces
Add chicken and cook 4 minutes, stirring until the outside is opaque.
Step 5
Cook the shiitake
Add mushrooms and cook 2 minutes until they release moisture and begin to brown.
Step 6
Reduce to a glossy sauce
Pour in the soy mixture and simmer 3 minutes until a glossy mushroom chicken sauce coats the pieces.
Step 7
Probe chicken to 74°C
Probe the largest chicken piece; it must reach 74°C with no pink centre.
Step 8
Season four serving bowls
Mix sesame oil and light soy sauce in four warm serving bowls as the noodle base.
Step 9
Boil and drain the noodles
Bring 2 litres water to a boil, cook fresh noodles separately for the packet time until just tender, then drain thoroughly.
Step 10
Blanch bok choy in two stages
Blanch bok choy stems 45 seconds and leaves 20 seconds in the noodle water; drain well.
Step 11
Toss noodles and add toppings
Toss drained noodles in the seasoned bowls, then arrange bok choy and chicken mushroom sauce on top.
Step 12
Add measured hot stock and serve
Spoon 40 ml hot chicken stock around each bowl and serve immediately before the noodles absorb the sauce.
Common mistakes
- Overcrowding chicken prevents browning.
- Undercooked chicken is unsafe below 74°C.
- Overcooking noodles makes the bowl gluey.
- Adding wet greens dilutes the bowl seasoning.
Tips
Cook noodles separately so the chicken sauce stays glossy instead of starchy.
Drain noodles and bok choy thoroughly before they enter the seasoned bowl.
Add stock around, not over, the topping to preserve the layered bowl.
