Try Some Fantastic Chinese Recipes At Home

By Author: James Lanka
Total Articles: 22
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These are tried and tested recipes - Bon Appetit from The UK Recipe Archive!!

Crispy Duck With Apricot And Plum Sauce

For the marinade
4 Tbs grated fresh root ginger
2 Tbs Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry
2 Tbs ground Sichuan peppercorns
pinch of salt, to taste (optional)
6 whole star anise
1 Tbs dark soy sauce
1 Tbs light soy sauce
For the duck
2 duck breasts, skin scored in a criss-cross pattern
1 Tbs groundnut oil
salad leaves, to serve
For the apricot and plum sauce
100ml/3 ½fl oz water
2 plums, stones removed, quartered
50g/2oz dried apricots, chopped
2 1/2 tsp caster sugar
1 Tbs honey
1 cinnamon stick
1 ...
... whole star anise
1 lime, juice only

1. For the marinade, place all of the marinade ingredients into a bowl and whisk well to combine.

2. For the duck, place the duck into the bowl with the marinade, cover with cling film and leave to marinate in the fridge for 20-25 minutes.

3. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.

4. Heat a wok until smoking and add the groundnut oil, then add the duck skin-side down and fry for 4-5 minutes, or until the skin is browned and crisp. Transfer the duck onto a baking tray, skin side up, and cook in the oven for 3-4 minutes, or until cooked to your liking.

5. For the apricot and plum sauce, place the water into a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Add the plums, apricots, sugar, honey, cinnamon stick and star anise and cook over a medium heat until reduced to a sticky sauce. Take
off the heat, strain through a sieve and stir in the lime juice. Discard the spices left behind in the sieve.

6. To serve, place a duck breast onto each serving plate, pour the sauce over the duck and serve with the salad.

Fragrant Pork And Aubergines

4 Tbs groundnut oil
1 aubergine, halved lengthways and cut into
-- 1cm/ ½in slices
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 Tbs grated fresh root ginger
1 red chilli, finely chopped
200g/7oz minced pork
1 Tbs Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry
2 Tbs chilli bean sauce (available from Asian grocers)
200ml/7fl oz hot chicken stock
2 heads pak choi or ½ Chinese cabbage,
-- halved and sliced lengthways
1 Tbs clear rice vinegar or cider vinegar
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
2 spring onions, chopped
1 Tbs cornflour, mixed with 2 tbsp cold water

1. Heat a wok until smoking and add two tablespoons of the groundnut oil, then fry the aubergine slices with a splash of water for 3-4 minutes, or until softened and golden-brown all over. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

2. Wipe away the excess oil from the wok, reheat and add the remaining groundnut oil. Heat until smoking. Stir fry the garlic, ginger and chilli for a few seconds, then add the minced pork. Stir fry for one minute, then add the rice wine or sherry. Cook for 3-4 minutes, or until browned, then add the chilli bean sauce and hot chicken stock. Return the aubergines to the wok and add the pak choi.

3. Season, to taste, with the vinegar and sesame oil and bring to the boil. Cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the pork is cooked through, then stir in the spring onions. Add the cornflour paste and stir until the liquid has thickened.

4. Spoon the fragrant pork and aubergines into a serving bowl and serve immediately.

Sweet And Sour Pork

For the pork
3 Tbs roasted whole soya beans or dry roasted peanuts
few pinches ground white pepper
1 tsp crushed dried chillies
2 pork loin steaks, fat removed
2 Tbs groundnut oil
For the sweet and sour sauce
125g/4oz canned pineapple, in natural juice
125ml/4fl oz pineapple juice
3 Tbs freshly squeezed lime juice
light soy sauce
splash of Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry
ground white pepper
serve
steamed rice
choi sum (Chinese cabbage), steamed

1. For the pork, place the roasted soya beans, a few pinches of ground white pepper and the dried chillies into a food processor and pulse until coarsely ground. Transfer to a shallow bowl and set aside.

2. Place the pork steaks in between two sheets of cling film and, using a meat mallet or rolling pin, bash the pork steaks until halved in thickness. Roll the steaks in the soya bean mixture until well-coated, then pat lightly to secure the mixture to the meat, shaking off any excess.

3. Heat a wok until smoking and add the groundnut oil, then add the pork steaks and cook for 2-3 minutes on both sides, or until golden-brown and cooked through. Remove the steaks from the wok transfer to a warm plate to rest.

4. For the sweet and sour sauce, place all of the sauce ingredients into a food processor and blend to a smooth paste.

5. Pour the sweet and sour sauce into the wok used to cook the pork and leave to simmer for 1-2 minutes, or until the sauce has reduced to a thick consistency. Season, to taste, with light soy sauce, rice wine and ground white pepper.

6. To serve, pour the sauce over the pork and serve with rice and choi sum.
James Lanka is the website owner of The UK Recipe Archive, where you can download his substantial collection of UK television recipes. Also available is a UNIQUE internet marketing opportunity by clicking here