Stir-Fried Swiss Sauce Chicken Udon

I love noodles, especially udon. Wait until you try this dish, you will love udon as much as I do!

Few years back, I posted the Swiss Sauce Chicken Wings recipe. It is a classic Hong Kong cafe style dish. Even though it is named “Swiss”, it really has nothing to do with Switzerland. Check out the story that I wrote back then.

Swiss sauce is made with dark soy sauce, rock sugar and water. Chinese dark soy sauce is fermented for a longer period than regular soy sauce. It is darker in color and thicker in texture. Sugar is always added in the process. It is less salty with a hint of sweetness. Even though it is lighter than regular soy sauce, it is still too strong to be eaten like that. To make Swiss sauce, water is added to dilute the dark soy sauce a bit. The rock sugars also come in place to sweeten the flavors. Last but not least, ginger and green onion are added to bring in extra flavors. The end result is a savory sauce with a little sweetness, which is perfect in all kinds of stir-fries.

The Swiss sauce that I used in the udon recipe actually is leftover from making the Swiss Sauce Chicken Wings. The sauce was once infused with chicken wings, which gave the sauce delicious chicken flavors and really took it to another level. I would recommend to try the chicken wings first. Then, save the leftover sauce in a few small Ziploc bags and freeze them. When ready to make the udon (or whatever you want), defrost the Ziploc bag over running tap water. The sauce will be ready to use.

This stir-fried udon comes together quickly. Saute the chicken, onions, and cabbage until cooked through. Toss with a good amount of Swiss sauce and udon. A savory noodle dish will be waiting for you. The color of the dish may look a little dark, but it is all because of the dark soy sauce. The dish is little salty, umami and a hint of sweetness. The flavors are unexpected and different in a good way. Give it a try! 🙂

Stir-Fried Swiss Sauce Chicken Udon (瑞士汁雞肉炒烏冬)

2 servings

Ingredients:

–  ½ lb boneless skinless chicken thighs (cut into ¼-inch strips)

–  ½ medium onion (thinly sliced)

–  ½ small cabbage (cut into strips)

–  3 tablespoons water

–  ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon leftover Swiss sauce 

–  2 udon packages (best to use Sanuki udon)

–  1 green onion (chopped)

–  vegetable oil

Marinade for Chicken:

–  2 tablespoons leftover Swiss sauce

–  1 teaspoon soy sauce

–  dash of ground black pepper

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, combine the chicken strips and marinade. Marinate for 20 minutes.
2. In a large pan over medium-high heat, warm up ½ tablespoon vegetable oil. Add the chicken and cook until cook through, about 3 – 4 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a small bowl and set aside.
3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Follow the udon package direction to cook the udon. Drain and rinse under cold water. Set aside.
4. Clean the pan and pat dry. In the pan over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon oil. Add onion and saute for 2 minutes. Add cabbage and 3 tablespoons water. Cover and cook until almost soften. Add Swiss sauce. Mix well. Add cooked udon and chicken. Toss and combine. Cook for 2 more minutes. Taste and adjust with more Swiss sauce if needed. Transfer to serving plates. Top with green onion. Serve immediately.

Tips:

1. If you don’t have any leftover Swiss sauce, you can make a small portion of it. In a small pot, bring 200ml water to a boil. Add 100ml dark soy sauce, 75g rock sugar, 1 green onion (cut in half), and 1 (1-inch) ginger slice. Once the sugar is melted, simmer for another 3 minutes. The sauce is ready.