deconstructed prawn toasts recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 150g butter
• 450g king prawns, peeled, but tail shell left on
• 1 red chilli, finely chopped
• 200g brioche breadcrumbs
• Juice and zest of 1 lemon
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• Oil, for frying
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 2 spring onions, finely chopped

Method

1. Melt the butter in a pan, add the prawns and chilli and cook for 3-4 minutes until the prawns are just cooked through.
2. Add the breadcrumbs, lemon, sesame seeds and soy sauce to the pan. Keep stirring until it forms a buttery crumb.
3. Heat a slash of oil in a separate pan, then add a quarter of the egg mix. Quickly tilt the pan so it spreads evenly over the bottom to form a thin pancake, then top with a quarter of the spring onions and cook for 2 minutes until set. Tip out on to a tray and repeat this process with the remaining mix.
4. Roll one pancake up at a time and slice thinly into long ribbons.
5. Serve the egg ribbons on top of the crumbed prawns.

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spring rolls with plum sauce recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 5cm matchsticks of root ginger
• Handful of beansprouts
• 12 spring onions, finely chopped
• 2 carrots, finely julienned
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 tsp chilli flakes
• 2 apples, peeled and cut into matchsticks
• 1 tbsp chopped coriander stems
• 50ml thick soy
• 20 spring roll wrappers
• Oil, for deep-frying

For the plum sauce

• 1 finely diced shallot
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• Oil, for frying
• 570g can plums, stoned
• 1 tbsp hot chilli sauce
• 150ml vegetable stock
• 50ml sweet sherry
• 1 tbsp Chinese five spice

Method

1. In a wok, fry the ginger, beansprouts, spring onion, carrot, garlic and chilli flakes for 1 minute.
2. Add the apple pieces and coriander, cook for another minute and then add the soy sauce.
3. Cool the mixture, then place a spoonful onto each spring roll wrapper. Wrap the pastry up into a cigar shape and deep fry for 3-4 minutes.
4. To make the plum sauce, fry the shallot and garlic in oil for 5 minutes. Add the plums, chilli sauce, stock, sherry and Chinese five spice. Boil for 5 minutes, then purée until very smooth.
5. Serve the spring rolls with plum sauce to dip.

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pearl balls recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 400g piece boneless, skinless pork belly, very finely chopped (or ground pork)
• 1 small shallot
• 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled
• ½ cube organic vegetable bouillon
• 1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
• 1 teaspoon Shaosing rice wine
• 2 pinches cracked sea salt
• 2 pinches of ground white pepper
• 1 large egg yolk, beaten
• 1 teaspoon cornflour, plus more for rolling
• 1 cup glutinous white rice, soaked overnight in cold water and drained

Dipping sauces

• Black rice vinegar with ginger matchsticks
• Chilli sauce (Linghams)
• Soy, sesame oil, rice vinegar, sesame seeds, fresh chillies, coriander

Method

1. Place the pork belly on a large cutting board and very finely mince it with a sharp, heavy knife or cleaver until the fat is broken down; spread it out on the board into a thin layer (or use 2 large heavy cleavers to speed up the process). Using a microplane, grate the shallot, ginger, and bouillon cube over the meat. Sprinkle the five-spice, Shaosing, salt, pepper, egg yolk, and cornstarch over the pork and use the knife (or a spatula) to mix the ingredients to combine well.
2. Put some cornflour in a shallow bowl, using your hands, roll the pork mixture into ping-pong ball sized balls and roll them in the cornstarch to lightly coat. Shake off the excess starch and transfer the meatballs to a plate.
3. Working with wet hands, put some of the soaked rice in your palm and roll the meatball in it with your hands, pressing gently, until it is evenly coated in rice. Continue rolling until the meatballs are all coated with rice.
4. Fill a wok 1/3 with water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Put a shallow flat bowl or plate with a lip into a bamboo steamer basket (make sure the plate is at least ½- inch smaller than the diameter of the basket) and evenly space the rice balls on the plate, being sure they do not touch each other. Cover the basket with the lid and lower it into the wok. Steam the meatballs, adding water to the wok as necessary, steam the pearl balls for 20 to 25 minutes, until firm and set.
5. Serve the meatballs in the bamboo baskets on the table serve with bamboo picks on the side for skewering and dipping into vinegar, chili oil, or soy sesame sauce.

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five spice duck and ginger noodle soup recipe

INGREDIENTS

• Pinch of crushed dried chillies
• 1/4 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 2 large duck breasts, skin removed
• 2 litres fresh chicken stock, hot
• 5cm piece fresh ginger, cut into thin strips
• 2 tsp sunflower oil
• 200g dried wholewheat noodles (we like Blue Dragon)
• 1 medium-hot red chilli, deseeded and thinly sliced
• Bunch of spring onions, trimmed and thinly sliced on the diagonal
• 200g beansprouts
• 4 heads pak choi, roughly chopped
• Handful fresh coriander sprigs
• Dark soy sauce, to serve

METHOD

How to make duck and ginger noodle soup

1. Lightly grind the crushed chillies in a pestle and mortar, then mix in a shallow dish with the five-spice powder, sugar, some sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Put the duck breasts skinned-side down on the spices. Cover with a plate and weigh down with a few cans. Set aside for 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, bring the stock and ginger to the boil in a pan. Season with a little salt and keep hot. Bring another pan of lightly salted water to the boil ready for the noodles.

3. Meanwhile, heat the sunflower oil in a frying pan over a high heat. Add the duck breasts, spice-side down, lower the heat slightly and cook for 3 minutes each side for medium-rare. Set aside to rest for 5 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, cook the noodles in the boiling water according to the packet instructions. Drain and divide between 4 warm bowls. Sprinkle with the chilli and half the spring onions. Add the beansprouts and pak choi to the chicken stock and cook for 1 minute. Ladle over the noodles.

5. Thinly slice the duck on the diagonal and place on top of the noodle soup. Scatter with the remaining spring onions and coriander sprigs and serve with the dark soy sauce on the side.

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chicken noodles recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 1 block dried instant noodles
• 200g cooked red Thai chicken mini fillets (from large supermarkets)
• 2 spring onions
• 2 sachets instant miso soup (we used Sanchi Instant Miso Soup - you'll find this with the Chinese and Japanese sauces at the supermarket)
• 2 tbsp soy sauce

METHOD

How to make chicken noodles

1. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Carefully add the noodles and cook for 4 minutes, or according to the packet instructions. Put a kettle of water on to boil. While it's boiling, cut the chicken into thin strips.

2. Hold the spring onions with your left hand and slice carefully, keeping your fingers as far from the knife as you can. Trim off and throw away the ends, then chop the rest of the onions into little pieces.

3. Put a colander in the sink and ask an adult to drain the cooked noodles for you. Stand well away from the steam.

4. Empty the miso soup sachets into a measuring jug. Carefully pour in 1 litre of boiling water from the kettle, then add the soy sauce and stir to mix. Return the noodles to the pan and gently separate them with a fork. Add the chicken and spring onions, then pour in the miso soup. Cook for 2 minutes.

5. Use a large ladle to divide between 2 bowls and tuck in straightaway.

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mixed dim sum recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 1 packet of fresh or frozen wonton wrappers - you will only really need about 2/3rds of them though and they do re freeze
• For the pork and prawn pot sticker dumpling filling 100g raw tiger prawns
• 80g pork mince
• 2 spring onions, chopped
• 1 teaspoon ginger, grated
• 1/2 tsp shiaoxing wine
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp ginger, minced
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp cornflour

For the dipping sauce

• 1 ½ inch piece of ginger, julienned
• 1 tbsp chinese black vinegar
• 1/2 tsp asian chilli oil
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp water

For the seafood dumpling filling

• 2 (hand dived) scallops, shelled and chopped
• 2 raw king prawns, shelled and chopped
• 100g white fish like sea bass, blitzed in a food processor or finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon chives
• 1 tsp ginger, grated
• 1 tsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp sake

For the steamed baby pak choi with oyster sauce

• 4 baby pak choi, halved down the stem
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tsp light soy sauce
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 red chilli

METHOD

How to make mixed dim sum

1. To make the pork and prawn pot sticker dumplings, place all the filling ingredients in a medium bowl and stir well with a metal spoon until just combined. Cover and chill for 10 minutes.

2. While the prawn and pork mixture is chilling prepare the dipping sauce by mixing all the sauce ingredients in a bowl. Set aside at room temperature (for up to 3 hours) until ready to serve. Stir again briefly before serving.

3. Line a large baking sheet or rectangular dish with paper towels and dust lightly with flour. Place a wonton wrapper on your palm, then put 1 heaped teaspoon of the filling in the centre of the round. Moisten the edges with a wet finger and fold it over in half to form a half-moon shape. Using your thumb and forefinger press to form 10 to 12 tiny pleats along the edge to seal. Shape the dumplings so that the base of the dumplings are flat. Place finished dumpling on the floured surface and repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling.

4. Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat until hot but not smoking, then carefully place the dumplings on the pan, seam sides up. Fry dumplings for 2-3 minutes, until bottoms are pale golden then add 50ml water and quickly cover with a lid. Leave the dumplings to steam until all the liquid has evaporated (about 5-6 minutes), if the pan is dries up quickly and the seamed edge still appears white and uncooked add a little more water and replace the lid.

5. Remove the lid and add the remaining oil, swirling the pan a little so that the oil reaches the bottoms of all the pot stickers. Let them continue cooking (uncovered) for a couple more minutes, then lift with a spatula to check that bottoms - once they are crisp and golden they are ready.

6. For the seafood dumplings place all the filling ingredients in a medium bowl and stir well with a metal spoon until just combined. Cover and chill for 10 minutes.

7. Lay a gyoza wrapper in front of you. Wet the edges. Put 2 to 3 teaspoons of filling in the middle, taking care not to get the filling too close to the edges. Gather up the edges of the wrapper and gently pleat so that it forms a basket shape, with the top of the filling exposed.

8. Steam over boiling water until the filling is cooked through (5 to 10 minutes).

9. To make the steamed baby pak choi with oyster sauce, bring a wok full of salted water with a lid to the boil.

10. Place the pak choi on a plate that fits into a bamboo steamer. Cover with the sauces, garlic and chilli. Cover with the bamboo lid and place into the wok, making sure the bottom is not immersed in the water. Cover with a lid and steam for 5 minutes or until tender. Serve the dumplings and pak choi immediately with the dipping sauce, but be careful when you bite into the dumplings- they will be hot!

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sticky szechuan pork with sesame seeds recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 4 dried red chillies, roughly chopped
• 6 star anise
• 500g boneless pork belly, cut into 2.5cm/1in-wide pieces
• 2.5cm piece root ginger, roughly sliced
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds

Method

1. Heat the oil in a wok over a high heat. When smoking hot, chuck in the dried red chillies and star anise and stir-fry for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the pork belly, ginger and salt, and continue to stir-fry for 2–3 minutes, or until the pork starts to take on a little colour.
2. Pour over 500ml hot water, which should just cover everything, and give it a good stir. Bring to the boil, cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 1 hour 30 minutes, or until the pork is cooked through and tender. Remove the pork from the wok with a slotted spoon and set aside. Skim off any excess fat from the surface of the liquid left in the wok using a spoon.
3. Whisk together the vinegar, sugar, soy sauce and 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl and then add to the wok. Turn the heat up to high and cook, stirring continuously, for 5 minutes, or until the sauce has reduced by half.
4. Return the pork to the wok, add the sesame seeds, then stir-fry for 2–3 minutes, or until the sauce has become really thick and sticky and the pork is well-coated. Sprinkle over the sesame seeds and serve immediately.

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