A Little Chinese Feast
2011 The Year Of The Rabbit
Celebrate the Chinese new year with the family, making all or just some of this not so little Chinese feast. There's something here for everyone and quite a lot of it can be prepared the day before.
Sticky Ribs
Prawn Sesame Toast
Pork Dumplings
Aromatic Duck with Pancakes
Sweet and Sour Chicken
Egg Fried Rice
Sesame Noodles
Aromatic Duck with Pancakes
1 whole fresh duck
3 tbsp five spice powder
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp tomato puree
2 tbsp oil
Salt and pepper
2 packs x 12 ready made pancakes
1 cucumber, cut to small strips
1 bunch spring onions, trimmed and cut to small strips
Hoisin sauce
Preheat the oven to 200C
Mix together the five spice powder, soy sauce, tomato puree, oil, salt and pepper.
Coat the duck inside and out with the mixture. Place in the oven for 30 minutes then turn the temperature down to 150C and cook for a further 45 minutes- 1 hour.until the meat is tender and the skin crisp.
Warm the pancakes in the microwave for 20-25 seconds
Shred the meat from the duck, using 2 forks.
Spread the pancake with a little Hoisin sauce add a few strips of cucumber, spring onions and some shredded duck, roll it up and eat it with your fingers
Sticky Sweet and Sour Spare RibsA pile of shiny roasted spare ribs looks and tastes delicious and are very easy to make
900g pork spare ribs
1 tbsp clear honey
2 tbsp marmalade
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp tomato ketchup
1 tbsp sherry
1 tsp paprika
1 clove garlic, crushed
Salt and pepper
1 lemon, juice only
Finely chopped spring onion to garnish
Heat the oven to 180C/350F/ gas 4
Place the ribs in a roasting tin
Mix all the other ingredients together in a bowl and spoon over the ribs. Leave to marinate for 30 minutes.
Roast the ribs in the oven for 45 minutes basting occasionally and turning once.
Put the ribs into a serving dish and bubble the pan juices over a high heat until reduced and thickened.
To serve spoon the thick shiny sauce over the ribs and garnish with spring onion.
Tip: To make the day before , just marinate the ribs in the sauce, cover with clingfilm and refrigerate overnight. Remove from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking and leave at room temperature. The flavour should be more intense and the ribs tender.
Sesame Prawn Toast
6 slices thin cut white bread
1 egg
1/2 tsp salt
250g raw prawns
2 chopped spring onions
1tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp chopped ginger
Sesame seeds to coat
400ml groundnut oil to deep fry.
Place the prawns, egg, salt, spring onions, soy sauce, sesame oil and ginger in a food processor, blend to a smooth paste put the paste in the fridge while you prepare the bread.
Cut each slice into 4 triangles. Spread each triangle with the prawn paste and coat with sesame seeds.
Heat the oil in a heavy pan, at a moderate heat. Test the temperature by dropping in a cube of bread, if it is golden brown within 20 seconds the oil is ready.
Cook the prawn toasts a few at a time, drain on kitchen paper and eat warm.
Pork Dumplings
18 wonton Wrappers
300g lean pork mince
2 spring onions, finely chopped
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp sherry
1 tsp brown sugar
Pepper and a little salt
2 cloves garlic, crushed
Mix together thoroughly the mince and the rest of the filling ingredients.
Lay out the wonton wrappers and brush the edges with water. Place a small ball of the pork mixture in the middle of each wrapper, gather the edges and press together to form a small pouch. Steam or poach for 5-6 minutes and eat warm, dipped in soy sauce.
Sweet and Sour Chicken
3 boneless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp sesame oil
1 red pepper, cut into chunks
1 carrot, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tsp grated ginger
Sauce ingredients
3 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp white vinegar
3 tbsp sherry
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp cornflour
Cut the chicken into small chunks and mix with the soy sauce and sesame oil.
In a jug or bowl, mix together the sauce ingredients with 100ml cold water. Line a large plate with kitchen paper.
For the batter
Mix this just as you are about to cook. Sift 85g/3oz plain flour and 1 tbsp cornflour with ½ tsp fine sea salt into a large mixing bowl. Whisk in 200ml/7fl oz ice-cold sparkling mineral water along with a few ice cubes using a whisk, but don't over beat. It doesn't matter about a few lumps. Use immediately.
Heat the groundnut oil in a deep-fat fryer to about 180C. Then dip a few chunks of chicken at a time into the batter, then place in the hot oil using tongs or a slotted spoon, but don't crowd the pan. Fry until crisp and golden - about 2 mins. You may need to do this in batches, so reheat the oil each time. As the chunks cook, lift out with tongs/spoon to the paper-lined plate to drain.
Heat a wok to hot, add about 3 tbsp oil and stir-fry the vegetables with the garlic and ginger for about 3 mins. Give the sauce a quick final stir and pour into the wok, mixing as it cooks to a light glossy sauce. Bubble for 1 min, then spoon over the chicken and serve with egg fried rice.
Egg fried rice
250g basmati rice
1 egg, whisked
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp roasted sesame oil
Spring onion to garnish
Wash the rice thoroughly and cover with cold water and just a little salt. Bring to the boil and cook for 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and cover with a lid. Let it stand for 7 minutes.
The rice will have absorbed the water, strain off any water that may be left and fluff up the rice with a fork.
Heat the vegetable and sesame oil in a wok, add the beaten egg and stir until it starts to cook. Add the rice to the wok and stir thoroughly into the egg. Add the soy sauce, then give it all a good stir.
Sesame Noodles
300g medium egg noodles
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp smooth peanut butter
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp sesame seeds
1 spring onion, chopped
1 small red chilli, finely chopped
Cook the noodles according to the packet instructions.
Mix together the peanut butter, soy sauce, vegetable oil and sesame oil, mix with the noodles and to finish, sprinkle over the spring onion, chilli and sesame seeds.
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