Since I made the Szechuan Pepper Roasted Whole Chicken Stuffed with Lemon, Fennel, Onion, and Thai Basil from Masterclass, I took it one step further and had to try the Szechuan Crusted Chicken Breast, Udon Noodles with Bok Choy, Sugar Snap Peas, Shittake Mushrooms and Ramen Broth.
Honestly, I think typing the title is harder than making the recipe…. I just wanted to challenger myself in trying to make a harder recipe that the ones I usually do. I’m also trying to teach myself to make use of all the ingredients in a recipe. Such as making a chicken stock from the carcass of the roasted chicken, that I then used in my Pasta Fagioli I made a few days later. 
Both recipes came out very good and looked very good as well. Well, except for breaking down the chicken…I’m going to need a little more practice on that one.
The recipe is rather lengthy, but steps of it can be made ahead earlier in the day, so it won’t seem so intimidating. You want to make this the same day you roast your chicken though. 
Sauteed Vegetables
Ramen Broth
Udon Noodles
Watching Gordon’s video on Masterclass makes this recipe 100% easier. I’m not sure if you can get it anywhere else but on Masterclass though.
Moral of the story is, no recipe is that intimidating. You just need to have lots of time and patience for some recipes. Follow the simple directions, and your recipe will turn out great.
Szechuan Crusted Chicken Breast, Udon Noodles with Bok Choy, Sugar Snap Peas, Shittake Mushrooms and Ramen Broth
Ingredients
Lemon Salt
3 Meyer lemons
3 tablespoons Maldon salt
Udon Noodles
9 ounces dried udon noodles
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon olive oil + 2 teaspoons
2 teaspoons unsalted butter, cubed
1 cup shiitake mushrooms, julienned
1/2 cup bok choy, chiffonade
1/4 cup sugar snap peas, sliced on the bias
4 scallions, rough chop
Udon Noodles
3 cups chicken stock
1 cup roasted chicken juices
1/4 lemongrass stalk, rough chop
1/2 knob fresh ginger, rough chop
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1/4 bunch cilantro, plus 3 cilantro sprigs
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 roasted Szechuan crusted chicken breasts, warmed
1 tablespoon lemon salt
2 tablespoons scallions, thinly sliced on the bias
Instructions
Zest Meyer lemons into a mortar and pestle and add Maldon salt. Crush the zest and salt together until fragrant and broken down. Store in an airtight container, in a plastic or ceramic container wrapped tightly with plastic wrap, or a zip-lock bag in a cool, dry place for up to two weeks.
In a large sauté pan, heat two teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Saute the mushrooms for 3 minutes with sesame oil. Add the bok choy and butter and continue to sauté for another minute. Add the snap peas and and scallions and toss. Season with salt and pepper and continue to sauté for 2 more minutes to wilt the scallions.
Pull off heat and reserve.
Bring to a boil 2 quarts of cold, salted water. Add the noodles, stir, and let boil for 8 minutes or until the noodles are al dente (“to the teeth” in Italian) or the noodles will overcook while being held for plating. Strain the noodles in a colander and allow to drain and cool for a few minutes.
Toss the noodles in a large mixing bowl with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the cooked vegetables and reserve for plating.
In a medium saucepan, simmer the chicken stock with the roasted chicken juices, lemongrass, ginger, cilantro, and garlic over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add soy sauce and rice wine vinegar. Reduce the broth for 20 minutes or until the reduced by half without letting the liquid go above a rolling boil. Strain the broth through a sieve and into a saucepot. Pick cilantro leaves off 3 sprigs of cilantro and add to the strained broth. Add 2 teaspoons of sesame oil to finish.
Use a meat fork to thread half of the udon noodles. Lift half of the noodles up, straighten them out while they hang from the fork, and lean the fork against the edge of the bowl as you twist the fork away from you to roll the noodles into a nest. Bring the fork to a 10 to 12 inch plating bowl and pull off the noodle nest into the center of the bowl. Repeat with the second noodle nest. Spoon half the vegetables over each bowl of noodles.
Slice each chicken breast into 4 pieces and lay over the noodles. Pour the ramen broth into a small pitcher to help distribute the broth easily or use a ladle. Pour or ladle enough of the broth on one side of the bowl and let rise up ½ inch from the top of the udon noodles. Finish with a sprinkle of scallions and lemon salt over the chicken.
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