Baltimore Yat Gaw Mein
Ingredients
Kosher salt
1 lb. fresh wheat noodles, such as lo mein or udon
¼ cup duck fat, chicken fat, vegetable oil, or other cooking fat
1½ cups bean sprouts
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 medium scallion, thinly sliced
¼ cup dark soy sauce, plus more if needed
2 Tbsp. light soy sauce
2 Tbsp. oyster sauce
1 Tbsp. MSG or chicken bouillon powder
1 Tbsp. sugar
1–2 tsp. Tianjin chile flakes or crushed red chile flakes
Steamed or poached shrimp or medium-rare seared beef slices, for topping
1 hard-boiled egg, peeled, for topping
Ketchup and hot sauce, for serving
Directions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook for 1 minute less than the package instructions so they remain slightly undercooked. Drain, then rinse briefly under cold water. Set aside to cool.
Heat a wok over high until lightly smoking. Add the duck fat, followed by the bean sprouts, onion, and scallion. Stir-fry until the mixture begins to brown around the edges, about 1 minute. Add the noodles, both soy sauces, the oyster sauce, MSG, sugar, and chile flakes. Stir-fry, tossing continuously so the sauce coats the noodles evenly and begins to brown against the wok, 1–4 minutes. (If a darker color is desired, add a little more dark soy sauce.)
Add 1½ cups of water to the wok, scraping up the browned bits, and simmer until the noodles absorb some of the liquid, about 1 minute. (If you prefer a saucier dish, add a little more water.) Add the shrimp and hard-boiled egg, tossing gently so the egg warms through and takes on some of the dark soy color without breaking apart.
Serve immediately, with ketchup and hot sauce on the side.