Nose Bear

Jiaozi Steamed Dumpling Army

Five Spice Beef with Broccoli

A simple stir fry, with quite deep flavours.  The beef stock, dark soy and the Chinese 5 spice really combine well to give a richness of flavour without the heavy feeling that you get with a lot of Western food of a similar style.

• 200 g beef steak, thinly sliced
• 2 colves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tsp grated root ginger
• 1/2 tsp Chinese 5 spice
• 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 200 g broccoli, chopped
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 150 ml beef stock
• 2 tsp cornflour
• 4 tsp water 
• carrot strips

Mix the garlic, ginger, dark soy sauce, 5 spice and beef togather and marinate in the fridge overnight.

Stir fry the broccoli for 5 minutes and remove.  Stir fry the beef and marinade for 5 minutes and then add the broccoli, light soy sauce and stock.

Mix the cornflour and water and also add it to the wok.  Bring to the boil and then simmer for 1 minute, stirring frequently.  Serve with rice and carrot strips.

Sticky Chinese Chicken Wings

Who doesn’t like sticky chicken wings?  These are amazing and go especially well with potato in some form to soak up any juices that are left over.  The only thing to bear in mind is that if using hoisin sauce from Asian speciality stores, they can tend to be very salty, so taste before piling on the hoisin. 

• 450 g chicken wings
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• grated rind of 1 lime
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 2 tbsp clear honey
• 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 tsp sesame seeds

Mix the chilli powder, ground ginger and lime rind and smear evenly over the chicken wings.  Leave to marinate overnight.

Heat some oil in a wok and stir fry the chicken wings for 10 minutes until cooked through.  Remove any oil left in the pan and add the rest of the ingredients, turning the chicken so that the sauce covers the wings.  Reduce the heat until the mixture is just bubbling and cook for 25 minutes, regularly turning the wings so that they are coated evenly.

Wonton Army

Crispy Seaweed

Lies, all lies.  Crispy seaweed is not actually seaweed at all but is most commonly pak choi or savoy cabbage.  If you can get past the deceit, this is a relatively easy take away classic to make at home.  The only messy part is doing the deep frying. 

• 500 g pak choi (or savoy cabbage)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp caster sugar
• oil for deep frying

Wash and dry the pak choi leaves.  Remove the tough lower parts of the stems and very finely slice the leaves into ribbons.

Deep fry the leaves in batches for about 30 seconds, remove with a slotted spoon and leave to drain on kitchen paper.  Place into a serving bowl and sprinkle with the salt and sugar.

Dark Soy Braised Chicken

I made this as the meat for my alternative Christmas dinner this year and it was delicious.  The sauce is rich due to all the chicken juices in it as well as the savoury soy and the sweet, almost smoky caramelised sugar.  It also goes surprisingly well with the potatoes, sprouts, green beans and the sausage and cranberry stuffing balls.

• 1 whole chicken
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 5 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 150 ml water
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 red chilli, finely chopped

Wipe down the chicken with paper towels to remove the oils from the skin.  Gently heat some oil and the sugar in a large wok until the sugar begins to caramelise.  Add the dark soy sauce and then add the whole chicken, turning to coat the skin in the caramelised dark soy.

Add the water, garlic, onion and chilli to the wok and cover.  Simmer with a lid (or tin foil) covering it for about an hour, turning the chicken in the mixture regularly.  

Remove the chicken and boil the sauce to reduce it, or add some cornflour mixed with some water to thicken it up.

Orange and Ginger Chicken

A sweet, delicately spiced dish, with the various reddish colours of the carrots, oranges and tomato purée combining well to create an aesthetic meal.  Recommended for anyone who enjoys sweet and savoury dishes such as sweet and sour pork. 

• 350g chicken, sliced
• 1 onion, sliced
• 175g carrots, matchsticked
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp ginger root, peeled and grated
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 4 tbsp rice wine
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 1 tbsp demerara sugar
• 100ml orange juice
• 1 tsp cornflour
• 1 orange, peeled and quartered

Stir fry the onion, carrots and garlic for 3 minutes and then add the chicken, ginger root and ground ginger. Stir fry for 10 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.

Mix the rice wine, tomato puree, sugar, orange juice and cornflour in a bowl and add to the wok. Heat until it simmers and then add the orange segments. Immediately remove from the heat and serve.

Sweet and Sticky Salmon with Leeks

A beautiful marinade that doesn’t overpower the flavour of the salmon.  If you want more of a substantial meal, double the marinade and serve with rice, ensuring that the marinade has been sufficiently heated through to remove any bacteria that might be present.

• 400g salmon, sliced
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp tomato sauce
• 1 tsp rice wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp demerara sugar 
• 500g leeks, thinly sliced

Mix together the garlic, soy sauce, tomato sauce, rice wine vinegar and sugar. Place the sliced salmon into a dish and coat with the marinade. Leave in the fridge for 45 minutes or overnight.

Heat some oil in a wok and stir fry the leeks for about 10 minutes. Remove them and place to one side. Add some more oil and stir fry the salmon and marinade for 2 minutes. Place on top of the leeks and serve.

Steamed Cabbage Buns

A kind of Chinese themed version of the Greek dolma, these cabbage buns are full of flavour. Best enjoyed with a soy sauce, garlic and chilli dipping sauce to add a little extra bite to the rolls.

• 8 cabbage leaves
• 400g minced pork
• handful of pre boiled rice
• 1 tsp cornflour
• 1/2 tsp chilli powder
• 1 egg, lightly beaten

Boil a large saucepan of water and add the cabbage leaves. Blanch them for around a minute and a half, take them out and leave to dry. Mix the pork, rice, cornflour, chilli powder and the egg together. Divide into 8 parts and add one part to each of the cabbage leaves.  Wrap the cabbage leaves around the pork and place seam side down in a steamer.

Cook in a steamer for 10 minutes and serve with dipping sauce.

Orange Chicken

This dish is interestingly sweet with the addition of the oranges . However you must ensure that the oranges are not cooked to aggressively or they will break up in the wok.

• 400g chicken, cut into strips
• 1 onion, roughly chopped
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1 red pepper, cubed
• 1 leek, sliced
• 4 tbsp soy sauce
• 4 tbsp rice wine
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• juice of one orange
• 1 tsp cornflour
• 2 oranges, quartered and peeled

Stir fry the chicken until cooked and then add the onion, garlic, red pepper and the leek. Stir fry for 5 minutes.

Mix together the soy sauce, rice wine, tomato puree, orange juice and the cornflour. Add to the wok and stir to coat. Add the orange segments and heat through. Serve with steamed rice.