Lobster Yee Mein (or yi mein), pronounced lóng xiā yī miàn in Mandarin or loong ha yee meen in Cantonese (龙虾伊面), is a dish combining long life noodles, or yi mein, (also call e fu noodles) and Cantonese-style lobster. It’s an incredibly tasty, luxurious plate of lobster noodles, and we’ll show you how to make it like a pro.
龍蝦伊麵（又稱伊麵，亦作伊府麵），普通話發音為 lóng xiā yī miàn，廣東話發音為 loong ha yee meen（龍蝦伊麵），是一道把長壽麵（伊麵，亦稱伊府麵）與廣東風格龍蝦結合在一起的菜式。這是一道極其美味、奢華的龍蝦麵，我們將教你如專家般做出來。
I don’t remember seeing or eating these lobster noodles at Chinese banquets or restaurants in Chinatown while I was growing up in upstate New York in the 70s and 80s, but it has become very popular in Cantonese restaurants today!
在我在1970年代與1980年代成長於紐約州北部上州的唐人街時，我不記得在中式宴會或唐人街的餐廳見過或吃過這種龍蝦麵，但如今在廣東餐館中卻變得非常受歡迎！
The Perfect Chinese New Year Recipe
Long noodles symbolize longevity. They’re enjoyed during birthdays, weddings and Lunar New Year celebrations—or just about any auspicious life event.
長麵象徵長壽。它們在生日、婚禮和農曆新年慶典中享用—幾乎在任何吉祥的人生時刻都會出現。
For the upcoming Chinese New Year (2024), in which we’re celebrating the new Year of the Dragon, lobster and yi mein are the perfect combination. In Chinese, the word for lobster (龙虾) literally translates to “dragon shrimp” or “dragon prawn.”
為了即將到來的中國新年（2024年），我們在慶祝新的龍年時，龍蝦與伊麵是完美的組合。在中文裡，龍蝦（龍虾）這個詞字面上的意思常被解釋為“龍的蝦子”或“龍型的大蝦”。
For that reason, lobster is an auspicious food, especially for those born in the Year of the Dragon! We think it’s the ultimate celebratory dish for this Chinese New Year, and the perfect auspicious combination of ingredients.
因此，龍蝦是一種吉祥的食材，特別是對於龍年出生者！我們認為它是這次中國新年的終極慶祝菜餚，也是組合最吉祥的材料搭配之一。
What are yee mein or e fu noodles?
Yee Mein (伊面, yī miàn)—also sometimes spelled yi mein—or e-fu noodles (伊府面, yī fǔ miàn) are a festive, traditional addition to Cantonese-style banquet dinners.
伊麵（伊面，yī miàn）—有時也寫作 Yi Mein—or 伊府麵（e-fu noodles，yī fǔ miàn）是廣東式宴席中的傳統節慶配菜。
They’re egg noodles with a spongy, chewy texture. The noodles are actually fried before drying, which makes the long noodle strands hard to break—symbolizing long life. They can often be found at Cantonese banquets, usually served alongside fried rice, towards the end of the meal.
它們是帶有海綿般、嚼勁十足口感的蛋麵。麵條在乾燥前實際上是先油炸，這使長麵條難以折斷，象徵長壽。常見於廣東宴席，通常在餐末與炒飯一起端上。
While I did mention that e-fu noodles are hard to break, the ones you get at such banquets are often ironically broken up into smaller pieces, simply because they are cooked in such large batches.
雖然我提到伊府麵很難折斷，但在這類宴席上端的常被諷刺性地切成較小的塊，原因只是因為一次要煮大量的麵條。
Chefs have to fit a lot of noodles into a couple of large woks for many tables, and stirring that volume of noodles breaks them up, and often leads to a wetter, spongier texture and less flavor in the noodles themselves.
廚師需要將大量的麵條裝入幾個大鍋以供多桌同時使用，攪拌這么大量的麵條會把它們攪碎，往往導致麵條變得更濕更鬆軟，風味也較不足。
That’s why if you can, it’s much better to order these noodles a la carte from a banquet restaurant, so that you can experience a smaller batch made fresh just for your table—or make it yourself!
因此，如果可以的話，最好在宴會餐廳點單點這些麵條，這樣就可以品嚐到為你們的桌子現煮的小份量麵條，或自己在家做！
Yi Mein noodles usually come in packages of 7 to 12 ounces (dry weight). The noodles are usually dried in a loose, round “cake,” and either packaged in shrink-wrapped plastic or in a fancy box. They can also be a bit pricier than your average package of dried noodle, marking them as a special occasion food. You’ll want 6 to 7 ounces of dried noodles to go alongside one lobster.
伊麵通常以7到12盎司（乾重）的包裝出售。麵條通常以鬆散的圓形「蛋糕」狀乾燥，包裝在收縮膜塑料袋中，或放在華麗的盒裝裡。它們的價格常比一般乾麵略高，標示為特殊場合食品。你大約需要6到7盎司的乾麵條，搭配一隻龍蝦使用。
Do I have to use this type of noodle?
Yes, generally, this lobster noodle dish is best with authentic longevity noodles. However, they can be difficult to find, especially where Chinese ingredients are scarce. You may be able to find them online (as they are shelf-stable), but you can also use any alkaline egg noodle that’s good for stir-frying.
是的，通常這道龍蝦麵最適合使用正宗的長壽麵。不過，這類麵條在某些地區較難尋找，特別是中國食材短缺的地方。你也許可以在網上找到（因它們具有長期保存性），但也可以使用任何適合快炒的鹼性蛋麵。
These have a similar chewy texture, although the consistency will be a bit different, since they may not have been fried before drying.
它們具有相似的嚼勁口感，但因未在乾燥前油炸，口感可能略有不同。
Instant noodles similar to what you might get in a packet of Top Ramen could also be a substitute for taste and texture, since they have been fried before drying. However, they are thinner, shaped into a curly noodle, and are more easily broken into pieces when stir-frying—something that you don’t want if your dish is going to be a symbol of longevity.
類似於你在 Top Ramen 盒裝中可能找到的速食麵條也可作為口感與口味的替代，因為它們在乾燥前經過油炸。然而，它們較薄、呈卷曲狀，快炒時更容易被打碎——這在你想要麵條象徵長壽的菜餚時是不理想的。
Experiment with alternatives, and share your personal results in the comments with us and our readers!
嘗試不同的替代品，並在留言中與我們及讀者分享你的實際成果！
Now that we have given you some background on lobster yee mein, it’s time to get down to it and make this auspicious lobster noodle dish for the upcoming Year of the Dragon!
Lobster Yi Mein Recipe Instructions
1. Prepare the Live Lobster:
Put the lobsters in the freezer for 10 minutes. This slows their metabolism and de-sensitizes them. Use a sharp chef’s knife to dispatch the lobsters. Position the point of your knife vertically in the center of the head shell, just behind the eyes. In one smooth, quick motion, drive the knife straight down until you hit the cutting board below. This instantly and humanely kills the lobster. Any movements from the lobster from here on out are just reflexes. Make sure your cutting board has outer grooves or is placed on a large kitchen towel to catch any liquid.
將龍蝦放入冷凍箱冷凍約10分鐘。這樣能減慢它們的新陳代謝並使之麻痺。使用鋒利的廚師刀將龍蝦刺斃。將刀尖直立地放在頭殼中央、眼睛後方，從頭部向下以一氣呵成的動作刺下，直到觸碰到砧板。這樣就能立即、以人道的方式殺死龍蝦。此後龍蝦的任何動作只是反射。確保砧板有外邊槽，或放在大張的廚房毛巾上以接住液體。
Next, place your index finger just under the back of the head shell, where it meets the rest of the body, and gently but firmly pull the shell up to remove it from the body. Set it aside. Cut off the mouth portion of the lobster head with a cleaver or chef’s knife. Cut or twist off the lobster claws, and cut off the smaller legs. Alternatively, you can also leave the legs attached to those lobster head pieces.
接著，將食指放在頭殼背部與身體連接處之下，輕而穩地把殼往上拉，將其從身體上去除，放到一旁。用菜刀或廚師刀切下龍蝦頭部的口部。切開或扭下龍蝦的鉗子，並切除較小的腳。也可以把腳連同頭部一起保留著。
Trim the antennae off the lobster head shell, and cut off a small portion from each side of the bottom of the head shell so it can sit on a flat surface at a 45° angle (this step ensures it sits nicely on your large serving plate). See the video for more details on how to do this. If you don’t care as much about presentation, you can skip this step and discard the head shells altogether.
修剪龍蝦頭殼上的觸角，並在頭殼底部兩側各切去少許，以便它能以45°角平穩地放在平面上（這一步確保它能在大盤子上端得漂亮）。如需更多細節，請觀看視頻。若你不在意擺盤，亦可跳過此步驟，直接丟棄頭殼。
Remove and discard the lobster gills, which are inedible. Remove the green mustard and innards. You can discard the mustard, use it in another dish, or include it in this dish. We leave it out, because it has a very strong flavor. Rinse the lobster pieces under cold running water.
取出並丟棄龍蝦的鰓，這些不可食用。去除綠芥末與內臟。你可以丟棄芥末綠、用於其他菜式，或加入本道菜。我們不使用，因為它味道非常濃烈。用冷水沖洗龍蝦塊。
Split the lobster lengthwise from the head portion to the end of the tail, so you have two halves, and remove the dark vein running down the center of the tail.
將龍蝦從頭部到尾端縱向切開成兩半，去除尾部中央的深色脈絡。
Take each half and cut off the upper section, separating it from the tail portion (there’s actually quite a bit of meat in that piece). Cut each tail half into 3 equal pieces, giving you 6 total tail meat pieces. If the lobster is on the large side, you can cut the tail into 4 pieces.
取每一半，切掉上部，使其與尾部分離（那一小段其實也有不少肉）。把每個尾半切成3等份，共得到6塊尾肉。如果龍蝦較大，尾部可以切成4份。
Separate the elbow joint from the claws and split each claw with a cleaver. Using a mallet with the cleaver can help. Use a good pair of kitchen shears to cut through the shell to split the small elbow piece that connects the claw and body.
將前肘關節與鉗子分離，並用斧刀劈開每個鉗子。搭配錘子使用刀具會更有效。使用一把好剪刀剪穿外殼，分開連接鉗子與身體的小肘部位。
Gently rinse all the lobster pieces, and drain in a colander. Repeat with the second lobster.
輕輕沖洗所有龍蝦塊，然後在濾器中瀝乾。第二隻龍蝦同樣重複上述步驟。
Let all of the lobster pieces drain well after you rinse them, and pat dry with a paper towel.
沖洗後讓所有龍蝦塊徹底瀝乾，然後用紙巾擦乾。
2. Prepare the Sauce for the Lobster:
Next, mix the sauce for the lobster. In a medium bowl, combine the chicken stock, oyster sauce, light soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, and white pepper.
接著，在中碗中混合龍蝦醬料。將雞高湯、蠔油、淡醬油、糖、芝麻油和白胡椒混合。
3. Dredge & Fry the Lobster:
Mix the cornstarch and flour in a shallow bowl, and lightly dredge the lobster pieces. It’s most important to dredge the exposed meat to protect it from the heat of the oil, give the meat a nice texture, and seal in juices.
At this point, many restaurants deep-fry the lobster pieces all at once in a large wok, but for home cooking, we’ll shallow-fry in batches. This cooks the lobster about 70% of the way through, enhances the lobster flavor, produces a rich color, and seals in juices while preventing the tender meat from overcooking.
在這個階段，許多餐廳會在一個大鍋中一次性把龍蝦塊全部油炸，但家用烹飪時，我們會分批淺炸。這樣大約能把龍蝦煎到70%左右的熟度，提升風味，產生豐富的色澤，並鎖住肉汁，同時避免嫩肉過熟。
Heat 2 cups of oil in a wok or medium pot to about 350°F/175°C. Drop in the lobster a few pieces at a time for about 10 seconds. If using a wok, use your wok spatula to move the lobster pieces around and to pour hot oil over the shells if needed. It’s most important to cook the shells until they start turning red, since they are hardest to cook through. Remove to a sheet pan to drain. Be sure to cook the two lobster head shells thoroughly and set them aside, since you’ll be placing them directly on the plate. Repeat until you’ve fried all the lobster pieces.
在炒鍋或中等鍋中加熱約2杯油至約350°F/175°C。一次放入幾塊龍蝦，煎炸約10秒。若使用炒鍋，請用炒勺將龍蝦塊推動並在需要時將油淋在殼上。最重要的是把外殼煎至開始變紅，因為它們最難煮透。取出放在烤盤上瀝油。務必把兩個龍蝦頭殼煎熟並放在一旁，因為你要直接把它們放在盤子上。重複直到所有龍蝦塊煎好。
Pour the frying oil through a fine mesh strainer into a heat-proof bowl and reserve for later use. The oil is infused with lobster flavor, and we’ll be using it to stir-fry the lobster and yi mein noodles. This lobster oil is great to use for cooking other dishes!
4. PRE-Cook the Noodles:
Boil about 3 quarts of water in a large wok or pot to pre-cook your yi mein noodles. Once boiling, add the noodles.
The directions on the box may say to boil the noodles for 5 minutes, but we recommend cooking for 3-4 minutes to keep them firm and chewy. Overcook them, and you will end up with a mushy texture.
Sample a noodle while cooking. When it tastes closer to the uncooked side of al dente pasta, it’s ready. When the noodles are done, drain, and set aside.
5. Stir-fry the Noodles
Make your noodle sauce by combining the chicken stock, oyster sauce, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sesame oil, salt, and sugar in a medium bowl. Set aside.
在中碗中混合雞高湯、蠔油、淡醬油、深色醬油、芝麻油、鹽和糖，做成麵條醬汁，放在一旁。
If the noodles have stuck together at all by this point, rinse them with hot water to loosen them up. Toss them in the colander to let any excess water drain.
如果麵條到此時還有結塊，請以熱水沖洗以鬆開。放入濾器中讓多餘的水分瀝乾。
Heat the wok until it just starts to smoke, and spread 2 tablespoons of the reserved lobster oil around the perimeter. Add the white parts of the scallions and garlic. Give it a quick stir, and then add the noodles (before the garlic has a chance to burn!).
煽鍋至開始冒煙，沿著鍋邊擺放2湯匙先前保留的龍蝦油。加入蔥白與蒜末，快速翻炒後再加入麵條（以免蒜末燒焦！）。
Spread the yi mein noodles around the wok, and let them cook for about 1 minute. Lift and mix them using your wok spatula.
把伊麵麵條鋪展在鍋內，煮約1分鐘。用鍋鏟提起並拌勻。
Pour the prepared noodle sauce evenly over the noodles, and stir-fry for 1 minute, or until the sauce mixture is distributed evenly and the noodles are heated through.
將預先調好的麵條醬汁均勻淋在麵條上，翻炒1分鐘，直至醬汁均勻裹附、麵條熱透。
Spread another tablespoon of lobster oil around the perimeter of the wok to prevent sticking if you feel you need it. (If the noodles stick together, you can also drizzle a bit of oil directly over the noodles, or add a splash of hot water if the noodles are too dry.)
再次沿著鍋邊擺上另一大匙龍蝦油以防止黏鍋（如果你覺得需要的話）。若麵條黏在一起，你也可以直接在麵條上淋一點油，或若麵條太乾，加入少許熱水。
Finally, stir in the green parts of the scallions. Mix gently so the noodles don’t break.
最後加入蔥綠部分，輕輕攪拌，以免麵條斷裂。
Transfer the noodles to a large serving plate, and move quickly on to the next step to finish assembling the dish!
6. Stir-Fry the Lobster & Assemble the Dish:
Start with a clean wok over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of reserved lobster oil to the wok, along with the ginger. Let the ginger fry for about 30 seconds, until fragrant.
用高火保持鍋子乾淨起鍋，加入2湯匙事前保留的龍蝦油以及薑。讓薑煎約30秒，直到香氣釋出。
Add the white portions of the scallions…
加入蔥白部份……
And the lobster. Stir-fry for 20 seconds, keeping the heat cranked up as high as it’ll go.
Pour the Shaoxing wine around the perimeter of the wok, and immediately cover it. Let it cook for about 2 minutes. This step infuses or “bakes” the lobster with the ginger and scallion flavor.
Uncover the wok and add the prepared sauce.
Also add the green parts of the scallions.
Stir-fry for another minute, and turn off the heat. Scoop the lobster pieces on top of the noodles. Place the two lobster heads on one end of the plate.
Serve immediately.
This dish definitely deserves a prominent place on the Chinese New Year or other celebration table!
