Delight your senses with this fresh, aromatic dish. Chef John Liu, head chef of Chifa LA, shares his well-loved recipe for yam noodles with shiso leaf pesto.
Recipe credit: Chef John Liu
Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 20-30 mins
Prepare the Pesto
STEP ONE
Chop and destem the shiso leaves.
STEP TWO
Heat up a frying pan to medium heat.
STEP THREE
Add 1 tbsp. of butter to the pan and move it around with a spatula to evenly coat the bottom of the pan.
STEP FOUR
Once the butter has browned a bit, add the garlic and let it incorporate into the butter.
STEP FIVE
Add the scallion and another tbsp. of butter if needed.
STEP SIX
Transfer the chopped shiso to the pan and turn off the heat.
STEP SEVEN
Stir the shiso into the butter mixture.
STEP EIGHT
Pour in the lemon juice or Japanese yuzu.
STEP NINE
Stir the mixture and let it sit in the pan.
Prepare the Yam Noodles
STEP ONE
In a saucepan, bring 8 cups of water to a boil.
STEP TWO
Place the yam noodles in a noodle strainer (or regular strainer) and sit the strainer in the water.
STEP THREE
Keep the noodles submerged in the water for 1-2 minutes.
STEP FOUR
Take out the noodles, shaking out any excess water from the strainer.
Combine and Serve
STEP ONE
Transfer the noodles into the pesto sauce in the frying pan and turn the burner back on to medium heat.
STEP TWO
Incorporate the noodles into the pesto sauce.
STEP THREE
Add in the ground pistachio and butter and stir everything together.
STEP FOUR
Plate the noodles and top with ground pistachios, nutritional yeast, and shiso leaf as desired. Serve and enjoy!
