Szechuan 'Mala' Chicken (麻辣雞)

I love spicy food. The spiciness often helps to lift a dish up with a nice kick. Szechuan is renowned for its spicy food with an unique twist - spicy & numbing. A typical Szechuanese dish must consist chilli and a form of Szechuan pepper, this could be peppercorns, pepper oil, pepper powder etc Chilli gives the spiciness and Szechuan pepper gives the numbing/ tinkling sensation to the tongue and lips. If you have never experienced the tinkling sensation in the mouth whilst eating I would highly recommend trying this 'mala' chicken dish.

'Mala' literally means 'numbness and spiciness' and it usually used to described a cooking paste, which can be bought in most Asian supermarket. I made my own paste in this recipe and it is actually very straightforward. It can be kept in the fridge for a few weeks and it is fabulous for noodle dishes. In this recipe I will also share a tip in how to make sure the chicken stays succulent. 

Mala Paste 

This paste is of moderate heat. Please adjust the portion of spices in accordance to personal taste.

20 g fragmented black beans

30g chili bean paste

30g garlic

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground sand ginger powder 

1 tsp ground chilli powder

1 stp ground cinnamon

2 tbsp of Szechuan peppercorns 

1 tbsp sugar

1 tsp of salt

100ml water

A dollop of mayonnaise 

1. Lightly toast the Szechuan peppercorns on a frying pan then crushed using a pestle and mortal.

2.  In a bowl, mix in all the ground spices including Szechuan pepper powder and add the water. Mix well. 

3. In a mini food chopper, put in the garlic, fragmented black bean and chilli bean paste and blitz until smooth.

4. In a frying pan, squirt a dollop of mayonnaise and add a splash of oil. Heat until the mayonnaise dissolved. 

5. Now add the garlic & black bean paste into the frying pan and cook for 8 minutes on a low heat. You will need to keep folding the paste so it doesn't stick or become overcook. 

6. Pour in the spice powder water and fold in the 2 mixtures, follow by the sugar.

7. Cook the paste for a further 5 minutes and take it off the heat. 

Szechuan 'Mala' Chicken

Serves 4

1kg skinless free range chicken legs and thighs 

6 slices of fresh ginger

1 chilli, halves

2 garlic

5 stalks of spring onions 

3 shallots, halves

1 tbsp of Shaoxing wine

3 tbsp of mala paste

1. In a shallow frying pan, heat some oil and add in the shallots, half of the spring onions, chilli, garlic and ginger. Cook for a few minutes so the aroma releases into the air.

2. Add in the chicken and cook until they're lightly golden on both sides. 

3. Pour in the Shaoxing wine and follow by the mala paste made earlier (can be shop bought if preferred). 

4. Smother the chicken with the paste. Bring it all to boil, put the lid on, reduce the heat and let it simmer for 8 minutes.

5. Turn the heat off, leave the lid on and let the remaining heat to steam the chicken for a further 8 minutes.

6. Now, cook the chicken with high heat for 2 minutes before serving. 

Fantastic with rice and some veg. The mala paste should allow another serving, so perhaps try it with some minced pork next and serve it with noodles as a quick, mid week supper.

Chicken Wings with Potatoes (薯仔雞翼)

There is an old saying: 'The closer to the bone, the sweeter the meat'. I've been converted to that belief ever since I was a child, and it stems from my mother. She taught me how to eat a boney fish without chocking; tackle spareribs so all the meat comes off the bone and enjoy chicken wings. I love chicken wings and I consumed a lot of them when I was a child. Since I became more aware of animal welfare I now only consumed high welfare chicken wings, and Waitrose Duchy Organic Free Range Chicken Wings are like godsend. They are so meaty and flavoursome, I only wish other supermarkets would follow suit.

This is a very simple dish, and the key is to let the chicken wings marinade for long enough. 

Serves 2

Waitrose Duchy Free Range Chicken Wings 800g
2 potatoes, peeled and diced
1 tsp of palm sugar
1 thumb of ginger, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbsp of light soy
1 tsp of dark soy
Pinch of sugar
Pinch of ground white pepper
1 tsp of sesame oil
1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
1 tsp of oyster sauce
1 tsp of corn flour

1. Marinate the chicken wings with both soy sauce, sugar, white pepper and sesame oil for a few hours or overnight.

2. Prepare the potatoes.

3. Heat up some oil and fry the ginger and garlic until browned.

4. Brown the chicken wings on both sides and add a splash of Shaoxing wine.

5. Add the diced potatoes. Dissolve the corn flour with some cold water and a splash of light soy, pour in with the chicken and diced potatoes. Add in the palm sugar.

6. Cover the meat and potatoes with just enough water and bring it to boil. Reduce the heat and let it simmer for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked through.

7. Serve with steamed rice and vegetables of your choice.

Chicken Katsu (チキンカツ)

Most meat eater like a bit of fried chicken now and then. It is such a guilty pleasure and nobody would really admit they like those juicy, crispy chicken legs from Kentucky Fried Chicken. I can put my hands up and admit I do enjoy the rare occasion of fried chicken legs, and will be riddled with guilt afterwards, annoyed with myself for not having the willpower to put chicken's welfare first. Also my arteries. 

I kept the oil used to fry those scotch eggs in a pan for a while, partly because it is a chore to discard it properly and partly because I would quite like to fry some guilt-free free range chicken thighs. 

What I have in mind is to make a chicken katsu, which is a Japanese deep fried chicken dish. What makes it Japanese is the sauce that usually goes with a katsu - Tonkatsu sauce. The best combination I find is lots of tonkatsu sauce & Japanese mayo all over the meat. Let's worry about my arteries another day...

A light batter is the characteristic of a good katsu. I marinated the chicken thighs with some fresh ginger, sake and Japanese soy sauce for a couple of hours first before coating them with batter mix.

Serves 2

1 litre of vegetable oil

4 boneless & skinless free range chicken thighs

1 large free range egg, whisked 

1/2 loaf of stale white bread

250g plain flour, seasoned with salt and pepper

1 thumb of fresh ginger, thinly sliced

1 tbsp sake

1tbs Japanese soy sauce

1. Marinade the chicken thighs with ginger, sake and soy sauce for at least a couple of hours.

2. Cut the stale loaf of bread into small cubes. Placed into a food chopper and blitz until the cubes turn into fine crumbs. Place into a bowl.

3. In a bowl, season the plain flour with freshly grounded black pepper and sea salt.

4. Whisk an egg in a bowl. Now, arrange the bowls in this order: flour, whisked egg & breadcrumbs.

5. Heat the oil in a deep pan until when dropping a small bit of breadcrumbs it sizzles. 

6. Coat a chicken thigh with flour, dip it into the egg and then coat it well with breadcrumbs.

7. Deep fry in the oil until golden brown. Depending on the size of the thighs, this should take around 10 minutes. If unsure, stick a knife through the chicken and chicken. 

8. Repeat the above steps for the remaining thighs.

9. Lined a plate with a good layer of kitchen paper. Use a slotted spoon to scope up the thighs and place on the plate for the excess oil to be soaked up.

10. Service the katsu with rice, and garnish with some Bulldog sauce & Japanese mayo.

Pork Shoulder Roast with Crackling

A colleague of mine recommended a quality butcher to me which sets within a garden centre, what an unusual choice of premises. I was ambivalent about its selection and quality. Much to my surprise, the butcher counter has a huge selection of cuts of meat along with other food products. It even has a carcass hanging in the back of the shop front which you can easily specific your choice of cut.  

This Bevan's Butchers has a butcher counter within the Longacrse Garden Centre in Bagshot really is worth a visit. It offers more than meat, but also pies, cooked meat, cured meat, cheese, fish and more. Moreover, the staffs are so polite and knowledgable, the service is absolutely superb. Obviously the reason for my visit is for the quality meat, and the price is higher than average so this is a treat.

I bought a small piece of pork shoulder joint for a 2-person roast dinner.

Serves 2

500g pork shoulder joint
2 carrots, peeled and quartered
1 bunch of fine beans
2 potatoes, peeled and quartered

For your perfect roast potatoes, please click here.

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C.
2. Season the joint with a good amount of freshly milled sea salt & peppercorn.
3. Place the joint into a roast tin skin side up and ensure the skin is dry. Scored the skin with a sharp knife.
4. Rub more sea salt over the skin and into the creases. 
5. Place the meat into the oven and cook for 30 minutes before turning the heat down to 180°C.
6. In a separate roast tin, put the quartered potatoes and carrots int and drizzle some rapeseed oil all over. 
7. Season with freshly milled sea salt & peppercorn and place into the oven. Cook for further 60 minutes together with the meat.
8. Take the meat out and run a knife through the middle. If the juice is clear then set it aside to rest whilst steaming the fine beans; if the juice is bloody, return the joint into the oven for a further 10 minutes or until cooked through.
9. Bring a pan of water to the boil and steam the fine beans. 
10. Carve up the joint and serve up.

British picnic: Scotch Quail's Eggs, Sausage Rolls, Cheese Straws & Sticky Chicken Wings

According to the weather forecast we are expecting a hot and sunny weekend, with every chance for it to be the total opposite, of course! We Brits are prepared for all weather, such as having a blanket at the ready in August! 

As soon as the sky is a little brighter, you will see people having the limbs out to maximise the tanning session; BBQs are in full swings in the back gardens, or chilling in the park with a picnic. It all depends on the party size and personal preference, a typical picnic hamper usually consist of quiche, cocktail sausages, scotch eggs, meat pie, strawberries and cream, pate etc 

Some of these food items can be easily made at home to add a little luxury to this hamper. Here are a few recipes:

Cheese straws

Jus-Rol Ready to Use Puff Pastry

200g grated extra mature cheddar cheese (depending on how cheesy you like your straws)

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C.

2, Grate some cheese.

3. Lightly flour a clean kitchen surface and unroll the pastry.

4. Slice the puff pastry into strips and place them on a baking tin that is lined with a sheet of greaseproof paper.

5. Sprinkle the cheese over the pastry strips and place it in to the oven.

6. Bake until they are golden but not burned. 

Sausage rolls

400g good quality free range sausage meat

Jus-Rol Ready to Use Crust Pastry

1 read onion, finely chopped

1 tbsp of wholegrain mustard

1 free range egg, whisk

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C.

2. Cook the chopped onion in a frying pan with some butter until soft. Leave it to cool down.

3. In a  bowl, mix together the onion and the sausage meat.

4. Lightly flour a clean kitchen service and unroll the pastry.

5. Spread the wholegrain mustard evenly over the pastry.

6. Cut the pastry through the middle and pastry enough sausage meat in the middle of it. 

7. Fold the pastry together so one is on tope of the other. Repeat the same to the other half.

8. Cut the sausage rolls into bite size and place onto a baking tray lined with a sheet of greaseproof paper.

9. Brush over the whisked egg.

10. Place the tray in the oven and cook for 20 minute or until  golden but no burned.

Scotch quail's eggs

12 quail's egg

100g stale skinless white loaf

250g good quality free range sausage meat

1 free range hen's egg

3 tbsp plain flour

1 litre Sunflower oil

1. Fill a large pan with boiling water and cook for 1 minute then take them of the heat and cope them out of the water to cool.

2. Cut the stale bread into small chunks and together with a pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, blitz in a mini chopper until it turns into fine dust. Place into a bowl.

3. Whisk the hen's egg in a bowl.

4. Divide the sausage meat into 12 patties of equal size.

5. Lay out 3 bowl with the following ingredients in: flour, egg and breadcrumb.

6. Peeled the quail's eggs.

7. In a cling film, place the sausage meat on top and put an quail's egg on top. Use the cling film to roll the sausage meat around the egg.

8. Now roll the egg first into flour, then dip into the beaten egg and followed by rolling it in the breadcrumb. Repeat the steps for the remaining quail's eggs. 

9. Pour the oil into a deep saucepan and heat it until it reaches about 180°C.

10. Lower the scotch quail's eggs in using a slotted spoon and fry until golden brown. Don't put too many in at once to avoid overcrowding. 

11. It should take around 5 minutes for the sausage meat to cook through. If the egg is browning too quickly then lower the heat a little. 

12. Spoon them out using a slotted spoon. Leave them on layers of kitchen tower for the excess oil to be absorbed.  

Sticky chicken wings

500g chicken wings

300g runny honey

50g light soy sauce

1 red chilli, finely chopped

1 clove of garlic, crushed

1. Preheat the oven to 180.

2. Heat the honey, soy sauce, red chilli and garlic until just started to boil.

3. Place the chicken wings in a baking tray and drizzle the honey mixture all over.

4. Place the chicken wings into the oven. Cook for 20 minuets and turn them over. Cook for another 10 minutes or until cooked through.

Okonomiyaki (お好み焼き)

Has anyone had a delicious okonomiyaki with lots of Japanese mayo, tonkatsu sauce and  topped with bonito shavings? Ok it may seems like I am just making words up here and I promise I am not. The best way to describe it is, it is a type of savoury pancake, or some would say it is also a little like an omelette. The filling of the okonomiyaki batter varies, but usually consist of bacon, octopus, cabbage and pork, topped with a generous amount of Japanese mayo, tonkatsu sauce and a sprinkle of dried seaweed or bonito shavings.

You can pretty much put anything into an okonomiyaki, as the word translate as 'grilled as you like it'. There is no right or wrong, so let's get creative!

Still can't picture what it would look like? Here is one I made:

I was very proud of myself when I managed to make one that resemble some similarities to an authentic okonomiyaki, and also looks presentable to be shared on the World Wide Web!

Yes, judging on the volume of mayo perhaps it is best not to try this out on your diet days.... The sauces I used are as below. They are widely available at Oriental food store. If there isn't one near you Japan Centre in London does delivery nationwide: https://www.japancentre.com/en

Kenko Mayonnaise 

Not dissimilar to Western eaters, the Japanese likes to have mayo with most things. Tempura, sushis, salad.... etc but yet the Japanese stays slim and slender! Perhaps it is time to replace regular Hellmann's with Kenko for real....

Bull-Dog Tonkatsu Sauce

Similar to our nation's favourite HP brown sauce. The Japanese likes to have this on breaded chicken, breaded pork chop, any type of fried meat really. Believe it or not it compliments the meat very well. The only obvious fried meat is KFC which I have yet tried the sauce with yet....!

Okonomiyaki usually cooked on a teppan  platelike that of teppanyaki. Well, I don't own a teppan plate but I do have an iron frying pan which I am sure will do the job just fine.

Now the key ingredeitn - okonomiyaki flour. There are many okonomiyaki mix available. I personally don't think it matters much which brand you go for, just grab one that catches your eyes most. The one I went for this one, which has prawn and scallop extract:

It is basically wheat flour mixed with some yam powder along with some seafood flavouring, the key  ingredient to a delicious okonomiyaki.

Serves 2

100g okonomiyaki flour
120ml water
1 free range egg
Bowlful of shredded cabbage
6 rashes of streaky bacon
Handful of shrimps
100g pork shoulder steak, sliced
Generous amount of Japanese mayo & tonkatsu sauce (or ordinary mayo & brown sauce)
Sprinkle of crushed dried seasweed (optional)

1. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, water and egg until smooth.

2. Ensure the frying pan is preheated well (but not smoking) and oiled.

3. Mix the cabbage, shrimps and pork shoulder steak slices well into the batter.

4. Place 3 rashes of streaky bacon onto the frying pan then gradually pour in the mixture.

5. Cook until lightly browned and the liquid begin to set, then place the other 3 rashes of streaky bacon on top and flip over to cook the other side till lightly browned.

6. Press down the okonomiyaki with the spatular to make an even thickness and it is cooked through.

7. Once both side is cooked to lightly browned then it can be placed up, squirt a generous amount of mayo and tonkatsu sauce all over.

8. Finally garnish it with a sprinkle of bonito shavings or dried seasweed for some umami.

Panang Curry (พะแนง)

My partner and I visited a local Thai restaurant last weekend, and it was there we first sampledd Phanaeng curry. We love trying out different dishes, so if it was on the menu of the other Thai restaurants we have visited before, I am not entirely sure why we've never had Phanaeng until last Friday. Mind you most restaurants only offer Thai Red or Thai Green curry!

The Phanaeng we sampled was excellent. Like most Thai dishes, there are a variety of meat option and we went for chicken. The curry was creamy and nutty with a hint of sweetness. It also has a subtle heat. The key ingredient for this dish is founded peanut, which is not used in other Thai curry dishes. As soon as we got home we were researching for ingredients and made plan to reinvent this delectable dish at home!

Serves 2

4 boneless & skinless free-range chicken thighs, sliced 

1 can of coconut milk

1 tsp of palm sugar

2 tbsp of fish sauce

3 kafir lime leaves

For the curry paste:

2 tsp coriander seeds, toasted

1/2 tsp cumin seeds, toasted

1 large red chilli, chopped

A tumble of fresh ginger, cut into matchsticks 

2 lemongrass, brused and sliced

A handful of fresh coriander, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, peeled

1 small onion, chopped

1 tsp shrimp paste

4 tablespoon of ground roasted peanuts

1. Grind the toasted cumin coriander seeds in a mortar & pestle until powdered. 

2. Put all the curry paste ingredients into a food processor (including the seeds powder) and blitz it until it is of a smooth, paste texture.

3. Heat up a frying pan on medium heat. Add the curry paste and cook for 5 minutes. Keepstirring so it doesn't stick and burns. 

4. Pour in 1/2 of coconut milk and cook for further 5 minutes. 

4. Add the chicken, kafir lime leaves, fish sauce and Palm sugar. Keep on cooking for another 10 minutes until the meat is cooked through.

5. If the consistency is too dry and you prefer a wetter curry, add more coconut milk in to the frying pan. I made mine quite dry this time.

Well, that's it! Here is a delicious curry, best serves with plain steamed rice! Enjoy!

Crispy Pork Belly with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes on Vine

CRUNCH! CRUNCH! CRUNCH! Oh how I love that crunchiness of pork cracklings, its so tasty and full of aroma. It may not be the healthiest option but I am sure having a treat now and then cannot hurt do the cholesterol level too much damage... Balancing it with some health vegetables seems to be all justified in the end! 

Serves 2

2 slices of free range pork belly, scored the skin

4 vines of cherry tomatoes

2 carrots, peeled and sliced

2 potatoes, peeled and diced

1/2 tsp of Chinese 5 spice

1/4 tsp of dried thyme

Salt & pepper to taste 

1. Preheat one oven to 220 degree and another to 180 degree. 

N.B. If you only have one oven, you may wish to cook the diced potatoes half way through then turn the heat up to 220 degree for crisping the crackling.

2. In a baking tray, season the diced potatoes with salt and pepper, dried thyme and a splash of rapeseed oil. Place it in to the lower heat oven and cook for 40 minutes or until golden.

3. Place the cherry tomatoes in a roasting tin, sprinkle a dollop of oil and salt, cover with foil and put into the lower heat oven. Cook for 40 minutes or so.

4. For the pork belly pieces, massage the Chinese 5 spice, a pinch of salt an a dollop of oil into the flesh. Pat dry the skin and score. 

5. Place belly pieces in a baking tray, sprinkle a generous pinch of salt all over. 

6. Cook the belly in the higher heat oven for 10 - 15 minutes or until the skin starts to crackle. 

7. Turn the heat down to 180 degree and cook the belly for a further 15 minutes or until the belly is throughly cooked. 

8. Meanwhile, steam the sliced carrots until cooked but not mushy. 

9. Serve! 

Korean Spicy Pork (Daeji Bulgogi)

The last of summer sunshine has faded and autumn has creeped in. There is no better season to consume hot and warming dishes but during autumn and winter time.

This Korean Spicy Pork dish is an alternative to chilli con carne, and is best accompanied by some hot steamed rice. You may add Amy vegetables you like but I would recommend to choose varieties that do not have much flavour, so they can absorb the marinade better. 

A trip to your local Asian store is required for this recipe, as the key ingredient is Korean pepper paste (Gochujang) and there is no substitute. There are many different brands of pepper paste, but I personally think they're much the same. So, go for whichever one suits you in terms of price and size. 

Serves 4

2 slices of free range pork belly, freeze until they're hard then thinly sliced

3 garlic cloves, crushed

1 cm of fresher ginger, crushed

1/2 apple, puréed 

3 tbsp Korean pepper paste

1 tsp sugar

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp sake wine

1 tsp corn flour

1 courgette, thinly sliced

1 red onion, thinly sliced 

6 small sweet peppers, sliced

2 stalks of spring onions, sliced 

1 cup of Basmati rice, steamed

1. Put the pork belly into the freezer and freeze till they're harden then thinly sliced them. This method will keep the fat layers intact. 

2. In a mixing bowl, marinade the pork belly slices with apple puréed, crushed garlic and ginger, soy sauce, sugar, Korean pepper paste, sake wine and corn flour at least 3 hours. Ideally, leave to marinade overnight. 

3. In a frying pan, heat some oil and cook the onion until they're soft.

4. Add in the pepper and courgette. Cook until they're soft but still have a crunch. Dish them up onto a plate.

5. In the same frying pan, cook the pork for 10 minutes and mix in the vegetables. Cook for further 5-10 minutes until the pork is cooked through.

6. Serve up the steamed rice and dish up the pork, sprinkle the spring onion on top. 

Bon appetite! 

Ratatouille with roast chicken legs

Ratatouille is a colourful Provencal vegetable dish that is flavorsome and wholesome enough to serves as a main dish, with a rustic French baguette; or it would make a fantastic side dish to go with any roast meat. It is debatable as what an authentic and traditional ratatouille should contain, but having studied various recipes, the key ingredients are aubergine, courgette, onion, tomato and garlic. Do avoid chopping the vegetables too small or risk them being dried up.

I served mine with a whole corn fed free range chicken leg. This dish would go nicely with a roast leg of lamb or pan fry fish. It is a hassle-free dish, great for entertaining friends and family over this Easter weekend!

Serves 2

Courgette, roughly chopped

Red onion,  roughly chopped

Red pepper,  roughly chopped

Yellow pepper,  roughly chopped

Leek,  roughly chopped

3 garlic cloves, leave whole

Punnet of button mushrooms, halves 

Tomato passata 

Pinch of Herbes de Provence 

Lemon, thickly sliced

Pinch of thyme 

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200 degree.

2. Prepare all the vegetables and place them onto a roasting tin. Drizzle a generous amount of rapeseed oil, season with salt & pepper and Herbes de Provence and massage the vegetables gently. 

3. Place the lemon slices in a separate roast tin and put the chicken legs on top. Drizzle rapeseed oil, season with salt & pepper and sprinkle a pinch of thyme over the meat. 

4. Place the vegetables and chicken into the oven for approximately 45 minutes or until cooked through. Check them periodically and turn the vegetables over every 20 minutes or so. If the chicken became dry, spoon the chicken and lemon juice over the skin to dehydrate. 

Enjoy!

Sesame Minced Pork (麻醬肉蓉)

A simplistic dish with sesame sauce and sesame oil being the key ingredients, it is well worth a try especially as a mid-week dinner, best to accompany by plain noodles or steamed rice.

Serves 4

500g minced pork (I used Blythburgh free range)

1 banana shallot, minced

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 courgette, sliced

1 tbsp light soy sauce

1 tsp cornflour

4 tbsp sesame paste

2 tbsp sesame oil

Pinch of sugar

1. Marinade the pork with light soy sauce, sesame paste and cornflour for 30 minutes.

2.  In a frying pan, fry the shallot and garlic until golden. Note: It might be tempting to use sesame oil at this stage to enhance the flavor. Nonetheless, it has a low smoke point which burn easily, and will develop a bitter taste when burnt.

3. Add in the minced pork and ensure it is cooked properly. Season to taste.

4. Take the meat off the heat and mix in the sugar and sesame oil.

5. In the same frying pan, pan fry the sliced courgette until cooked then mix in with the meat.

Great to serve with rice or plain noodles.

Classic Cauliflower Cheese (with streaky bacon!)

Another classic British dish. Inexpensive and comforting, fantastic for the cold winter nights, especially fitting for January, as most of us would be counting the pennies until next payday! For those who are trying to cut own on meat consumption, feel free to take out the bacon. Personally I like a some streak bacon in it to give it an extra texture and enhance the flavor. 

Serves 4

1 large cauliflower, cut into pieces
1 liter milk (I used semi-skimmed)
150g extra mature cheddar, grated
60g plain flour
60g butter
6 rashes of streaky bacon, diced (I used Blythburgh free range ones)
1 bay leaf
Pinch of nutmeg
Handful of fresh parsley, chopped

1. Place a large saucepan on a medium heat. Cook the cauliflower pieces with the milk & bay leaf until they are soften (approximately 15 minutes) but not mushy.

2. Drain the cauliflower to cool and reserve the milk for the cheese sauce. Reserve some to sprinkle at the top.

3. Melt the butter in a saucepan and add in the flour. Whisk the mixture and slowly pour in the reserved milk.

4. Add the grated cheese into the milky sauce and a sprinkle of nutmeg. Leave to simmer for 20 minutes to thicken the sauce. Note: Be sure to stir it now and then so it does not burn at the bottom.

5. Preheat the oven to 220C. Put the cauliflower pieces into a deep baking dish

6. Meanwhile, in a frying pan, cook the streaky bacon pieces until golden and crispy.

7. Mix the cooked bacon into the sauce, pour it over the cauliflower cheese, sprinkle the remaining cheese and chopped parsley on top.

8. Cook it in the oven for 20 minutes or until golden.

Ta-dah!

Chinese Kitchen - Ma Po Tofu (麻婆豆腐)

This is one of my favorite Szechuan dish. Like most Chinese food, this dish is simple and quick to cook, fantastic to serve with steamed rice and steamed seasonal vegetables.

Serves 4

500g free range minced pork 

250g firm tofu, equally diced into cubes

1 tbsp fragmented black beans 

4 tbsp chili bean paste (I prefer using Lee Kum Kee)

A thumb of fresh ginger, finely chopped

2 glove of garlic, crushed

3 stalks of spring onions, sliced

2 tsp cornflour 

Cold water

1 tbsp dark soy sauce (for colouring)

Pinch of ground white pepper

1 tbsp oyster sauce 

Light soy sauce, to season

Basmati rice, steamed (enough to serves 4 people, depending on appetite)

1. Prepare and steam the rice using a rice steamer/ pot on the hob.

2. In a deep frying pan, heat some oil and one it is hot enough, cook the garlic, fragmented black beans and ginger enough to infuse the oil but not burnt. Now brown the pork.

3. Stir in the chili bean paste and cook the meat mixture with medium heat for 10 minutes.

4. In a bowl, mix the dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, enough cold water and cornflour together to form a paste-like sauce. 

5. Pour the sauce into the meat,  add the tofu and cook together for another 10 -15 minutes.

6. Sprinkle the spring onions on top couple of minutes before serving.

7. Serve with steamed rice and vegetables of your choice.

Chinese Roasted Pork Belly (燒肉)

Mmmmm.... a piece of well seasoned and crispy roasted pork belly is a fantastic treat. Ok, it is not the leanest cut of meat (hence it is a treat!), but meat with layered of fat is often more succulent and flavoursome.

This recipe is very simple and when it is crackling away in the oven, your kitchen will soon be filled with the delicious smell of the marinate.

Serves 2

500g pork belly
1 tbsp Chinese 5 Spice
1 tsp ground ginger
3 tbsp salt
1 tsp Shaoxing wine
pinch of ground white pepper

1. In a bowl, mixed in all the spices and wine.

2. Pat dried the pork belly with kitchen towel (especially the skin if you fancy some crispy crackling)  and rub the marinade all over.

3. Leave the meat to absorb the marinade overnight.

4. Next day, heat the oven up to 220 degree. Ensure any excess moisture is dried up before putting the meat into the oven.

5. After been in the oven for 20 minuets at 220 degree, reduce the temperature to 200 degree and carry on cooking for a further 40 minutes.

And voilà! Best to serve it with some chilli dipping sauce or Hoi Sin sauce.

Bamboo Steamed Pearl Balls (珍珠球)

Although this is a 'traditional' dim sum dish, but I must confess I have never came across them at any of the dim sum restaurants I've visited in the past (or I was just too busy crunching spring rolls...!) I first found out about these delicious bad boys from an article in a free Chinese newspaper I picked up from a  Chinese supermarket in my area.

These dainty Pearl Balls are rather effortless to make and are perfect size for starters or party nibbles.  There are so many variations of Pearl Balls' recipe out there, it is hard to pin down one that is the most 'authentic' (if there is one?). Each cook has his/her own twist and so long the two key ingredients are there then all is well. As a true believer of 'you are what you eat', I always use free range or organic meat in all my recipes. The price of free range and organic produce has come down in recent years. It may come as a surprise, but I found local butchers offer a more competitive price than supermarket chains.  It is definitely worth spending the extra pound or two if possible, as these meat is definitely more flavorsome and of better texture than the battery farmed meat. One of the butcher I use stock up free range pork from Blythburgh, Suffolk (http://www.freerangepork.co.uk/). All their pigs and piglets spend their lives living outdoor, breathing in fresh air and only take shelter when they need it. Because these piggies spent their lives roaming around outdoor, there is much less fat from the meat in comparison to their battery farmed counterparts. For 500g of free range pork shoulder minced, it was approximately £3.50; a middle price range supermarket chain offers 500g lean pork minced at £3, not a huge difference in price but definitely a huge difference in quality.

Makes about 2 dozen

150g glutinous rice, soaked overnight in cold water and drained

500g minced pork (preferably free range)

3 dried Shiitake mushrooms, soaked overnight in cold water, finely diced

Handful of dried shrimps, finely diced

2 stalks of spring onion, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, crushed

Thumb size fresh ginger, finely chopped

Splash of light soy sauce

Splash of Shaosing rice wine

Splash of sesame oil

Pinch of Chinese 5 spice

Pinch of ground white pepper

Salt to taste

1. Drained the soaked glutinous rice and Shiitake mushrooms.

2. Finely chopped and diced all the ingredients and mix them with the minced pork along with the seasoning and spices.

3. Layer the bamboo steamer with a sheet of greaseproof paper.

4. Use hands to roll the pork mixture into ping-pong ball sized ball, then roll the meatballs in the bed of glutinous rice until it is evenly coated with rice.

5. Place the balls in the prepared bamboo steamer. Ensure there is enough space between them so they do not touch each other.

6. Fill the wok with enough cold water and place the bamboo steamer on top (with the lid on).

7. Have the hob on high heat for 20 - 25 minutes or until the rice is cooked through. Do check the water level periodically to ensure the water has not evaporated.

And here we have some mouth watering Pearl Balls!