Recipe

Emeril's Fall River Chow Mein

Ingredients

1/4 cup dried shiitake mushrooms
1/2 cup boiling water
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup diced onions
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
3 cups low-sodium beef broth or beef stock
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons gravy enhancer, optional, for color only (recommended: Kitchen Bouquet)
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons dark corn syrup
1 cup diagonally sliced celery, about 1/4-inch thick
2 cups shredded, cooked chicken
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Fall River Chow Mein Noodles

Place mushrooms in a small bowl and cover with the boiling water. Allow mushrooms to stand for 5 minutes, or until slightly softened. Remove mushrooms and reserve for another use. Reserve 1/3 cup of the mushroom-soaking liquid.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 1/2 cup of the onions and cook until slightly softened but not browned, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and celery salt and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add 2 1/2 cups of the beef broth and the reserved mushroom-soaking liquid and bring to a boil.
In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 1/2 cup beef broth, cornstarch, gravy enhancer, and soy sauce. Add the cornstarch mixture and the corn syrup to the saucepan and return the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes, or until the gravy is slightly thickened. Keep warm until ready to serve.
In a medium wok, heat the remaining vegetable oil over high heat. Add the remaining onions and the celery and cook until softened, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the chicken and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook until chicken is heated through, about 2 minutes. Ladle 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the reduced gravy mixture into the chicken mixture, tossing to coat well, and remove from the heat. Place Fall River Chow Mein Noodles in the bottom of a dish and top with the chicken mixture. Ladle gravy over the chicken and noodles and toss to combine. Serve immediately.