Cu chao mian, thick fried noodles, are a fixture of Shanghai's home kitchens and casual noodle shops. The noodles are fat and round and gloriously chewy, the sauce is built on dark soy, which stains every strand a deep, glossy brown, and the supporting cast is simple: slivers of pork, a few mushrooms and plenty of green bok choy. The dark soy brings a gentle sweetness that is characteristic of the city's cooking.

It is the sort of dish that people who grew up in Shanghai describe with real longing, and one of the fastest suppers in this book. Once everything is sliced and lined up by the stove, the cooking takes about twelve minutes, which is rather less time than a household usually needs to agree on what to watch.

The pork and marinade

Ingredients

• 8 oz (225 g) boneless pork shoulder or pork loin
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) Shaoxing wine
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vegetable oil

The noodles and vegetables

Ingredients

• 1 lb (450 g) fresh Shanghai noodles
• 4 fresh shiitake mushrooms
• 8 oz (225 g) baby bok choy
• 2 garlic cloves
• 3 tablespoons (45 ml) vegetable oil

The sauce and the stir fry

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) dark soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) toasted sesame oil
• 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) water

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