THE ULTIMATE CHINESE

SALT AND PEPPER CHILLI SQUID INGREDIENTS

400g squid tubes

½ tsp black peppercorns, toasted

½ tsp Szechuan peppercorns, toasted

1 tsp salt flakes

5 tbsp cornflour

1 egg, beaten

rapeseed oil for frying

1 red chilli, sliced

2 garlic cloves, sliced

2 spring onions, sliced

To serve:

sweet chilli dipping sauce

fresh coriander

lime wedges

METHOD

1 Cut the squid into bite-sized pieces and score the inside lightly with a sharp knife. Blot dry with kitchen paper. Grind the peppers and salt, place in a bowl and combine ¾ with the cornflour. Place the beaten egg in a bowl.

2 Heat 5cm of the oil in a wok or deep frying pan until a piece of bread turns golden in 15 sec. Drop the squid into the flour and toss to coat. Cook in batches until crisp and golden. Drain on kitchen roll. Heat a splash of oil in a frying pan, add the chilli, garlic and spring onions and fry until crisp. Scatter over the squid and serve with the remaining salt, dipping sauce, coriander and wedges.

CHINESE PULLED PORK INGREDIENTS

1.3 kilo pork shoulder, skin removed

2 tsp Chinese five spice

600ml light chicken stock

50ml dark soy sauce

3 tbsp soft light brown sugar

½ tsp crushed chilli flakes

4 garlic cloves, halved

4cm ginger, finely sliced

2 star anise

½ cinnamon stick

juice and zest 1 lime

METHOD

1 Preheat the oven to 150°C/130°C fan oven/Gas 2. Rub the pork all over with the Chinese five spice and place in a large casserole dish. Combine the remaining ingredients and pour over the pork. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook for 5 hours until perfectly tender.

2 Turn the oven up to 200°C/180°C fan assisted/Gas 6. Remove from the liquid and allow to cool a little before shredding. Place in a roasting tin and set to one side. Reduce the cooking liquid by two thirds, skimming off as much fat as you can.

3 Pour a little over the pork before roasting for 15 minutes until crisped at the edges. To serve, spoon over hot rice and serve with the remaining reduced sauce on the side.

AROMATIC STIR-FRIED GREENS WITH CASHEWS AND GARLIC INGREDIENTS

450g self-raising flour
400g tenderstem broccoli

2 tbsp toasted sesame oil

3 garlic cloves, sliced

4cm piece ginger, cut into fine matchsticks

4 heads pak choi, cut into bite-size pieces

1 tbsp caster sugar

2 tbsp soy sauce

25g cashews, toasted

METHOD

1 Cut the tenderstem into bite-size pieces and set to one side. Heat a wok or large frying pan until hot, add the oil, swirl and add the broccoli. Stir-fry for 2 minutes before adding the garlic and ginger and splash of water.

2 After 2 minutes, add the pak choi and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Stir the sugar into the soy and pour over the vegetables. Continue to cook for 1 minutes. Scatter with the cashews and serve.

MIXED VEGETABLE NOODLES INGREDIENTS

4 spring onions

150g ribbon rice noodles

2 tbsp toasted sesame oil

200g kale, shredded

2 red peppers, finely sliced

2 large carrots, cut into a fine julienne

For the dressing:

3 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce

1 tsp grated fresh ginger

rice wine vinegar

½ tsp Szechuan peppercorns, crushed

1 large red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

METHOD

1 Cut the spring onions into 8cm pieces and shred. Drop into iced water and place in the fridge for 30 minutes until curled. Cook the noodles according to the pack instructions, drain and set to one side. Combine the dressing ingredients and set to one side.

2 Heat a wok or large non-stick frying pan until searing hot. Add the sesame oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the kale and stir-fry over a high heat for 2 minutes, adding a splash of water to steam.

3 Add the peppers and stir-fry for a further 2 minutes. Add the noodles and stir-fry until hot. Add the carrots and the dressing. Stir to combine and spoon into a serving dish. Top with the curled spring onion and serve straight away.