My Friday lunches are almost always a quick but cooked meal for two, sometimes resembling more of a brunch. Leftovers are often a bonus in getting this one dish meal done quickly as are eggs in almost any form. The weather has taken a stormy turn this week, so a hot and satisfying bowl of savoury flavours was in order. I started with the idea of a variation on Singapore or Nyonya-Style Singapore Noodles from Grace Young’s Stir Frying to the Sky’s Edge, but I also wanted to keep this a bit less sweet, as I was going to incorporate some tender roasted lamb in place of pork (as you might in a lo mein). I considered variations on Dan Dan noodles, but with the meat, I shied away from a strong heat or even a peanut-chile combination. My noodles of choice were going to be buckwheat udon, cooked then rinsed and lightly tossed with a bit of sesame oil.

I wanted to keep the lamb flavours prominent, but with a bit of heat, so I chose ginger and scallions to accompany, and made a simple sauce of Shao Hsing, soy, and chile bean paste (for heat). I shredded 2 small red spring onions just until short of the bulb, then sliced the rest crosswise. A 1″ knob of ginger, shredded, backed up the heat and provided the aromatics in the wok as I started poaching two eggs in another pan. On a lower heat than I might usually stir fry, I fried the ginger, then added the lamb and shredded spring onion (you could use scallions), and removed the poached eggs to a plate after 4-5 minutes. Next, adding in the sauce, the noodles and the sliced onions, stirring until the sauce was well distributed and the noodles were heated thoroughly. All stir-fried fairly quick, but gentle, as the lamb was just nicely medium rare and I did not want to overcook it. I divided the lamb noodles between two bowls, then topped with a poached egg, a stripe of Sriracha and a wedge of fresh lime.

Half an hour – mostly in prep and organizing my own thoughts, a few minutes of stir frying, and a warm bowl to stir the egg gently into, and contemplate a warm and cozy day indoors.

Lamb Noodles

2 cups cooked noodles (one bundle of buckwheat udon or lo mein),
rinsed and drained, tossed with 1 teaspoon sesame oil to keep
   from sticking together
1 cup sliced or shredded cooked lamb
2 red spring onions
green portion trimmed then shredded
white bulb sliced
1″ knob of ginger, shredded (~ 2 teaspoons)
1½ Tablespoons avocado oil or wok oil suitable for high temperature
sauce:
1 Tablespoon Shao Hsing or cooking sherry
1 Tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons chile bean paste

2 poached eggs (4 minutes in 1″ of simmering water, drained and resting)
Sriracha sauce (optional)
lime wedges

Heat wok on medium-low heat (not quite to full sizzle of a water drop), then swirl in oil and add ginger, stir frying for 1-2 minutes until it turns golden. Add lamb (or other leftover roasted meat) and shredded onions, stir frying 1-2 minutes, then stir in sauce. Stir fry 1 minute more, then add in cooked noodles, and stir fry another 1-2 minutes to distribute sauce and heat thoroughly. Divide between two bowls, then top with poached egg. Garnish with Sriracha and lime.

Serves 2

I hope you will enjoy this #FreestyleWok dish, inspired by the WokWednesdays dishes and community! For more authentic stir-fry recipes and techniques, as well as the recipes for the Nyonya-Style Singapore Noodles and more, please take a look at Grace’s book, Stir Frying to the Sky’s Edge.

note: my favourite wok oils are either an avocado oil or the Thai wok oil from La Tourangelle, infused with lemongrass and Thai basil. Both are formulated for wok-frying temperatures.