What's "Baaaa" In Mandarin?

My stepson, Christian has been visiting his mother in Denver for the Easter break, which means smaller, less complicated meals (not to mention fewer dishes to wash!)

Rather than spending all this well-earned couple time hanging out alone in the kitchen, I'm focusing more on quick, simple suppers that I can get on the table, drink in-hand as soon as possible.

I had a little minced lamb left over from some burgers I'd made the other day and thought that it would be nice stir-fried into some Chinese egg noodles with some cabbage. Drew absolutely loved these noodles, which is odd, as he's not a big fan of Chinese food, cabbage OR lamb.
Chinese Noodles with Minced Lamb and Cabbage
Serves 2, takes less than 20 minutes

200g fine egg noodles
150g (5.5oz) minced lamb
250g white cabbage -sliced thinly and uniformly on a mandolin
1 medium onion -sliced thinly and uniformly on a mandolin with the cabbage
2 cloves garlic, minced
1cm piece ginger, grated
2 large handfuls bean sprouts
2 sprigs mint
handful coriander (cilantro) leaves
1 red chilli, deseeded and sliced
2 tbsp chilli bean sauce (available at Oriental grocers)
2 tbsp preserved cabbage (optional)
2 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp shaoxing rice wine
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
3 tbsp ground nut oil

Cook the noodles according to the package instructions in boiling salted water, then drain and rinse well with cold water. sprinkle with a little oil and toss through to prevent sticking.

make sure you have all your prep done and all your sauces to hand before you start wokking. You can mix the liquid ingredients together with a tbsp of water and keep it to hand.

Heat your wok over a high heat and when it starts to smoke add your oil. Quickly add the garlic, chilli and ginger to the pan and stir fry for 20-30 seconds, until fragrant, taking care not to let the garlic burn.

Add the minced lamb and stir-fry for a few minutes until well broken-up and uniformly browned and dry.
Tip in the thinly sliced cabbage and onion and fry for a further minute or so, until the onion is beginning to brown and the cabbage is starting to soften. Add the sauces, stirring through well and cooking for a minute or so until only a little moisture is left.
Add the noodles to the pan, toss them well into the mixture of veggies and sauce, then let them fry untouched for a minute to allow some crispy bits to develop.

Add most of the the herbs and beansprouts to the mix when you turn the heat off. Toss well and serve immediately in big bowls with extra herbs.

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