Garlic-Infused Chicken Noodles

Ingredients

• 400g chicken breast, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp garlic-infused oil
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 large carrot, julienned
• 1 medium courgette, julienned
• 1 red pepper, thinly sliced
• 20g spring onion green tops, sliced
• 200g rice noodles
• 3 tbsp tamari
• 1 lime, juice only
• 1 tbsp honey
• ½ tsp chilli flakes
• 10g coriander, chopped (optional)
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted (optional)
• Crusty bread, to serve
• Quick cucumber pickle, to serve
• Kimchi, to serve

Method

1. Soak or cook the rice noodles to just-tender per the pack — they'll get a second hit of heat in the pan, so pull them a touch shy. Drain, toss with the sesame oil to stop them clumping, and set aside.
2. Pat the chicken dry and season generously with salt and pepper. Water means steam, and steam means no browning — dry strips give you those golden edges.
3. Get a stainless or cast iron pan (or a wok) properly hot over high heat, then add the garlic-infused oil. The oil already carries the garlic — keep it moving and don't let it scorch, or it turns bitter and takes the dish with it.
4. Stir-fry the chicken in two batches, single layer each time, for 3–4 minutes until the edges catch gold and it's just cooked through. Crowd the pan and the chicken steams in its own juices instead of searing. Lift out and keep warm.
5. Straight into the same hot pan, add the carrot, courgette and red pepper. Stir-fry 2–3 minutes — you want them brightly coloured and still with bite, not floppy.
6. Return the chicken and the drained noodles to the pan. Pour over the tamari, lime juice and honey and toss constantly for 1–2 minutes so the sauce reduces against the hot pan and glazes everything glossy rather than sitting as a puddle.
7. Scatter in the spring onion tops and chilli flakes. Taste — most of the salt is doing its job through the tamari, but a final squeeze of lime or extra pinch of salt ties it together. Adjust now, not at the table.
8. Pile into bowls, scatter the toasted sesame seeds and chopped coriander over the top, and serve with a forkful of quick cucumber pickle and a spoonful of kimchi alongside.