Chicken Mushroom Pasta with Kale

I admit, there are days that I don’t quite feel up to playing about in the kitchen too much. But as with many other times in the day, the belly demands some form of sustainance and the tongue craves a savoury delight. It helps loads that W doesn’t mind my lazy cooking days so whipping up a quick and easy meal for both of us is definitely the way to go. And let’s face it, when you’re lazy yet hungry, nothing comes close to a good Chinese stir-fry takeaway, or that pack of instant noodles and all it’s slurpy yumminess.

This recipe hits all the right spots. And I know this because I never get enough of it every time: always going back for a second serving, only to realise that there’s none left. Problem is that when the hunger pangs get the better of me, my first serving is always way too large. Doesn’t help that W reckons I suffer from Stir-fry Inhalation Syndrome.Too much food. Gone too fast. Belly ache. Typical.

Back to the recipe, this dish is inspired by the good ol’ Ipoh Hor Fun I grew up on. I’m not from Ipoh, so the version I’ve been eating all my life is probably a bastardised improvisation (True enough, I’ve just found out the original is very different!). Nonetheless, what I’ve been eating is linguine-shaped rice noodles, with shredded boiled chicken, braised shiitake mushrooms and Chinese greens, served in a starchy savoury gravy. An overflowing plate of slurpy goodness!

Here’s my adaption, making use of what was available in the larder at the time:

Chicken Mushroom Pasta

Serves 2

2 portions of chicken
2 portions of long pasta
7 small white mushrooms
1 big handful of kale
2 large lettuce leaves
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp flour
1 tsp dark soy sauce
salt and white pepper

•••••

Set the long pasta away to boil, according to the packet instructions. Drain when cooked through.
Cut the chicken into chunks. (Here we used chicken wings and a thigh.) Cook them with the minced garlic in a small pot, with water just barely covering the chicken.
Prepare the mushrooms by slicing them thickly. Shred the kale and lettuce leaves as well.
Cook the kale in a pot with little water and put the lid on. The veg should be cooked in about 5 minutes.
Add the oyster sauce and flour together in a small bowl and add enough water to make a thick gravy-like mixture. Ensure all the flour has been combined well.
Remove the chicken pieces when done and add the oyster sauce mixture. Stir in a teaspoon of dark soy sauce for colour.
Add the mushrooms to cook in the gravy. Season well with salt and white pepper. It should be slightly saltier to the palette, in order to pair well with the bland pasta.
To serve, dish out the pasta, and pour the gravy and mushrooms over. Top with the chicken pieces, shredded lettuce and kale.