MEET THE SOUS CHEF
TITUS WANG, SOUS CHEF OF ANNISA
Titus Wang, 27, began as an intern at Annisa eight years ago, working his way up the ranks to become the restaurant's sous chef under Annisa's chef-owner, Anita Lo. Wang was born in Taipei, Taiwan. He lived there until his family moved to Edison, New Jersey, when Wang was 13. In his time off, Wang takes us through a day in his life, showing us his technique for perfect late-night stir-fried noodles and giving us insider tips on the best Taiwanese street food in the Flushing neighborhood of New York City.
TRACK THIS CHEF
DAY IN THE LIFE
Secrets to Cooking Well at Home
"It's difficult to get as much firepower on the stove at home as you can in a restaurant. So always get your pan really hot before you sear anything."
TIPS & TECHNIQUES
How to Char Ginger
For serious depth of flavor, Wang heats a large skillet over medium-high heat before adding sesame oil and long, thin strips of fresh ginger. After cooking for 1 minute, he adds whole garlic cloves and cooks until both the ginger and garlic are golden.
Must-Have Utensil
Wang often cooks with chopsticks, which let him move ingredients easily in the pan. Perfect for stirring noodles, chopsticks can be used in place of tweezers and tongs in the kitchen too.
YIELD
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
Yield: 4 servings
1 pound cooked Chinese egg noodles (or cooked spaghetti)
¼ cup untoasted sesame oil
One 2-inch piece fresh ginger--scraped, halved crosswise and each half sliced lengthwise into thin planks (8 to 10 pieces total)
8 medium garlic cloves, peeled and left whole
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs sliced into 1-inch pieces
2 red chiles (such as Fresno chiles), halved lengthwise
¾ cup Chinese rice wine (or dry sherry or dry sake)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
5 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced on a bias
1 cup Thai basil leaves (or ⅔ cup mint leaves and ⅓ cup basil leaves), roughly torn if large
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
DIRECTIONS
1. In a large pot of salted, boiling water, blanch the noodles for 15 to 30 seconds, just to loosen them. Drain and set aside.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Add the sesame oil and ginger and cook until fragrant, stirring often, about 1 minute. Add the garlic and cook, stirring often, until both the ginger and garlic are golden, about 1 minute longer.
3. Stir in the chicken and cook, stirring often, until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the chiles, rice wine, soy sauce and sugar and cook until the chicken is cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes longer.
4. Stir in the scallions and noodles and turn off the heat. Add the basil, toss to combine, season with salt and pepper and serve.
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