Garlic-Infused Chicken Noodles

Ingredients

• 400 g 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
• 20 g spring onion green tops, sliced
• 200 g rice noodles
• 3 tbsp tamari
• 1 lime, juice only
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• ½ tsp chilli flakes
• 10 g coriander, chopped (optional)
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted (optional)
• Fine salt
• 160 g quick-pickled cucumber
• 150 g kimchi

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.
3. Get a stainless or cast iron pan (or a wok) properly hot over high heat, then add the garlic-infused oil.
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 maple syrup 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.
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.