Shredded crispy chilli beef
Chicken & cashew nuts
When cooking Chinese food, it’s always important to think about the flavours and textures of the ingredients. Juicy chicken combined with succulent baby corn and salty, crunchy cashew nuts come together beautifully in this dish.
SERVES 2 PREP 5 mins COOK 7 mins EASY
1 tbsp groundnut oil
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 tsp finely chopped fresh ginger 2 chicken breast fillets, sliced 1 onion, roughly chopped
1 carrot, finely diced
40g water chestnuts from a can, sliced into bite-sized discs 30g bamboo shoots from a can 3 baby corn cobs, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
80ml chicken stock
1/4 tsp white pepper
1 tbsp cornflour mixed with 2 tbsp water
30g roasted & salted cashew nuts 1 tsp sesame oil
1 Place a wok over a medium-high heat, add the groundnut oil, garlic and ginger and fry for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the chicken and stir-fry for 5 mins. Tip in the onion, carrot, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots and baby corn, then stir-fry for a further 2 mins. Spoon in the oyster sauce and soy sauce, pour in the stock, then add 1/4 tsp salt and the white pepper. Stir well, bring to the boil, then turn down and simmer for 2 mins.
2 Pour in the cornflour mixture to thicken the sauce, stirring as you do, then remove from the heat, add the cashew nuts and sesame oil and mix well. Transfer to a serving dish and enjoy.
GOOD TO KNOW 2 of 5-a-day
PER SERVING 436 kcals • fat 17g • saturates 3g • carbs 25g • sugars 10g • fibre 5g • protein 44g • salt 3.6g
Crispy pork belly
No one, and I mean no one, can cook crispy belly pork like the Chinese. This dish takes a little forward-thinking but the end result is well worth the effort. Serve with a pot of sugar to transform this dish from ‘Mmm, that’s nice’ to ‘This is sublime’!
SERVES 6-8 PREP 5 mins plus overnight marinating
COOK 1 hr 50 mins MORE EFFORT
900g pork belly
2 tbsp Chinese rice wine 11/2 tbsp Chinese five spice 1 tsp white pepper
2 tbsp rice vinegar 160g rock salt sugar, to serve
1 The night before you want to cook the pork, pierce the skin all over with a corn cob spike or sharp knife, taking care not to puncture the meat underneath. If using a knife, be sure not to cut too deeply. The more holes you can pierce into the skin, the crisper it will be. Lay the pork belly skin side-down and massage the rice wine into the meat-side only, followed by the five spice, 2 tsp salt and white pepper. Place the pork belly in a dish, skin-side up, dry the skin with kitchen paper and put in the fridge, uncovered, overnight.
2 When you’re ready to cook, heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Place the pork on a piece of foil, fold the edges up to the pork belly covering the meat, but not the skin, on all sides. Dry the skin with kitchen paper again, then brush with the rice vinegar. Cover the skin completely with rock salt, then transfer to the oven to cook for 1 hr. 3 Remove the salt crust from the pork belly, discard, and transfer it to a clean baking tray. Return to the oven, uncovered, for 30-40 mins more. Remove from the oven and place under a hot grill for 8-10 mins until super-crispy (keep checking it to make sure it doesn’t burn).
4 Slice into bite-sized pieces and serve with a bowl of sugar for dipping.
GOOD TO KNOW gluten free
PER SERVING (6) 393 kcals • fat 30g • saturates 11g • carbs 1g • sugars 0.1g • fibre 0.1g • protein 29g • salt 3.2g
Chinese broccoli in garlic sauce
For taste and the health benefits that garlic brings, the more garlic the better – but be prepared to be short on company the next day!
SERVES 2 PREP 5 mins COOK 5 mins EASY V
1 tbsp groundnut oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed 400g gai lan (Chinese broccoli) or Tenderstem broccoli, stems chopped and leaves separated 1 onion, cut into strips
1 tbsp Chinese rice wine
2 tbsp vegetarian oyster sauce
1/2 tbsp dark soy
1/2 tbsp light soy sauce 120ml vegetable stock
1/4 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp granulated sugar
1 tbsp cornflour mixed with 2 tbsp water
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 Heat a wok over a medium-high heat, add the oil and garlic and fry for 15 seconds until fragrant. Add the broccoli stems and onion and stir-fry for 2 mins, followed by the broccoli leaves, frying for 1 min more.
2 Add the remaining ingredients (except the cornflour mixture and sesame oil) and 1/4 tsp salt, then bring to the boil. As soon as the sauce boils, slowly pour the cornflour mixture into the sauce, stirring continuously, to thicken it. Remove from the heat, stir in the sesame oil and serve straightaway.
GOOD TO KNOW low fat • folate • fibre • vit c •
2 of 5-a-day
PER SERVING 233 kcals • fat 8g • saturates 1g • carbs 25g • sugars 13g • fibre 10g • protein 11g • salt 3.2g
Sweet, spicy, aromatic, sticky and crispy all rolled into one dish. Could you ask for anything more?
SERVES 4 PREP 10 mins COOK 15 mins EASY
100g cornflour
2 eggs
450g beef fillet, sliced into strips groundnut oil for deep-frying, plus 1 tbsp thumb-sized piece ginger, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 carrot, cut into thick matchsticks 1/2 white onion, cut into strips 3 tbsp light soy sauce
4 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp granulated sugar (optional) 2 tbsp honey
2 spring onions, finely sliced
3 tsp chilli flakes
½ tbsp sesame oil 1 Tip the cornflour into a large bowl and whisk the eggs in another. Add the beef strips to the eggs and mix thoroughly, then transfer to the cornflour, coating each piece and shaking off any excess.
2 Heat enough oil to deep-fry the beef in a deep wok to 180C. Carefully drop the beef into the oil in batches and fry for 2-3 mins until crispy. Remove and drain on a wire rack or a plate lined with kitchen paper.
3 Heat 1 tbsp oil in a non-stick wok, add the ginger and garlic and fry for 20 seconds. Add the carrot and onion and continue to fry for a further minute. Now add the soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, honey, spring onions and chilli flakes, then bring to a boil. Add the crispy beef, then stir to coat evenly. Remove from the heat, stir in the sesame oil and serve.
PER SERVING 403 kcals • fat 14g • saturates 5g • carbs 41g • sugars 17g • fibre 2g • protein 27g • salt 2.1g