E arl y 14 1 Season the pork with a pinch each of salt and pepper. Cover and set aside in the fridge for 2 hours. 2 Pour the congee into a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat until hot. Add the pork and cook for 5 minutes, then reduce the heat to low. Add the century egg and cook for another 5 minutes. 3 Ladle into bowls, garnish with the spring onion, ginger and more white pepper and serve. Serves 2 200 g (7 oz) lean pork fillet, cut into thin strips fine sea salt and white pepper 500 g (1 lb 2 oz/2 cups) Basic congee (page 13) 1 century egg, cut into 8 pieces 30 g (1 oz/½ cup) chopped spring (green) onion, white and green parts 4 slices ginger, julienned ½ teaspoon ground white pepper PEI DAN SAU YUK JUK Congee with lean pork and century egg This is probably one of the most popular congee combinations eaten by Hongkongers at breakfast time. It is best known for its nutritional benefit of ‘reducing the heat’ inside your body: calming the stomach and aiding digestion. Century eggs (or thousand-year eggs) are a Chinese delicacy made of preserved duck eggs – but don’t worry, they’re not actually preserved for a hundred (or a thousand!) years. The process usually takes a few weeks, maybe a few moths. They have a creamy texture and slight ammonia flavour on the inside and a blackish, transparent, jelly-like texture on the outside. They’re an acquired taste – normal to me, because I grew up in Hong Kong – but for those who haven’t tried them before, this congee is a great introduction to the century egg’s unique taste. E arl y 14 1 Season the pork with a pinch each of salt and pepper. Cover and set aside in the fridge for 2 hours. 2 Pour the congee into a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat until hot. Add the pork and cook for 5 minutes, then reduce the heat to low. Add the century egg and cook for another 5 minutes. 3 Ladle into bowls, garnish with the spring onion, ginger and more white pepper and serve. Serves 2 200 g (7 oz) lean pork fillet, cut into thin strips fine sea salt and white pepper 500 g (1 lb 2 oz/2 cups) Basic congee (page 13) 1 century egg, cut into 8 pieces 30 g (1 oz/½ cup) chopped spring (green) onion, white and green parts 4 slices ginger, julienned ½ teaspoon ground white pepper PEI DAN SAU YUK JUK Congee with lean pork and century egg This is probably one of the most popular congee combinations eaten by Hongkongers at breakfast time. It is best known for its nutritional benefit of ‘reducing the heat’ inside your body: calming the stomach and aiding digestion. Century eggs (or thousand-year eggs) are a Chinese delicacy made of preserved duck eggs – but don’t worry, they’re not actually preserved for a hundred (or a thousand!) years. The process usually takes a few weeks, maybe a few moths. They have a creamy texture and slight ammonia flavour on the inside and a blackish, transparent, jelly-like texture on the outside. They’re an acquired taste – normal to me, because I grew up in Hong Kong – but for those who haven’t tried them before, this congee is a great introduction to the century egg’s unique taste. 81 Mi d 1 Prepare the fried rice to the point where the rice is flat against the wok and the moisture has started to evaporate (before you’ve added the seasoning and spring onion). 2 Heat the oil in a second wok over high heat, add the prawns and choy sum and stir-fry for 1 minute. 3 Add the prawns, choy sum and char siu to the rice and stir-fry for 1 minute. Now finish the fried rice with the seasoning and spring onion. Serve immediately. Serves 2–3 Fried rice (page 179) 1 tablespoon canola oil (or other cooking oil) 100 g (3½ oz) small prawns (shrimp), peeled and deveined 100 g (3½ oz) choy sum stem, sliced 100 g (3½ oz) Char siu (page 75) YEUNG CHAU CHOW FAN Fried rice with barbecue pork and prawns This fried rice dish is a great way to use up left-over prawns (shrimp), char siu and vegetables. It’s easy, delicious and full of nutrients! That said, you can add anything that you want; other variants include san chow ngau fan (beef fried rice) and sai chau fan (Hong Kong-style Western fried rice with sausage and sweet-savory sauce). This makes a small serve, but you can easily increase the quantities if you have more people to feed. 81 Mi d 1 Prepare the fried rice to the point where the rice is flat against the wok and the moisture has started to evaporate (before you’ve added the seasoning and spring onion). 2 Heat the oil in a second wok over high heat, add the prawns and choy sum and stir-fry for 1 minute. 3 Add the prawns, choy sum and char siu to the rice and stir-fry for 1 minute. Now finish the fried rice with the seasoning and spring onion. Serve immediately. Serves 2–3 Fried rice (page 179) 1 tablespoon canola oil (or other cooking oil) 100 g (3½ oz) small prawns (shrimp), peeled and deveined 100 g (3½ oz) choy sum stem, sliced 100 g (3½ oz) Char siu (page 75) YEUNG CHAU CHOW FAN Fried rice with barbecue pork and prawns This fried rice dish is a great way to use up left-over prawns (shrimp), char siu and vegetables. It’s easy, delicious and full of nutrients! That said, you can add anything that you want; other variants include san chow ngau fan (beef fried rice) and sai chau fan (Hong Kong-style Western fried rice with sausage and sweet-savory sauce). This makes a small serve, but you can easily increase the quantities if you have more people to feed. L at e 153 1 Rinse the pork and pat dry. This is important – if you don’t dry the pork thoroughly, it will affect the crispness later on when you fry it. 2 To make the marinade, combine all the ingredients, except the oil, in a large glass or ceramic dish. Add the pork and turn to coat in the marinade. Leave it for 1–2 minutes, then add the oil and mix well. 3 Pour the cooking oil into a large wok or heavy-based saucepan over medium heat and bring it up to about 160°C (320°F) or until a cube of bread dropped in the oil browns in 30–35 seconds. 4 Meanwhile, lightly coat the pork pieces with cornflour, shaking off the excess. 5 Carefully lower the pork into the oil and fry, untouched, for 1 minute. You don’t want to move it around otherwise the flour coating might drop off. After a minute, gently stir the oil so the pieces loosen up naturally, then continue to fry for another 3 minutes. Remove the pork with a slotted spoon. 6 Increase the heat to high and bring the oil temperature up to 190°C (375°F) or until a cube of bread dropped in the oil browns in 10 seconds. Return the pork to the oil and fry for another 30–60 seconds until golden brown and very crispy. Remove the pork and pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the oil. 7 Reheat the oil over medium heat, add the onion and saute for 30 seconds, then add the bell pepper and cook for another 30 seconds. Add the garlic and stir- fry for another 30 seconds. Pour in the shaoxing wine and the sweet and sour sauce and bring to the boil. Add the pineapple and simmer for 10 seconds. 8 Add the fried pork to the sauce, then immediately remove from the heat and keep stirring. There should be just enough sauce to coat all the ingredients. Serve immediately. With rice of course! Serves 4 1 kg (2 lb 3 oz) pork ribs, cut into 4 cm (1½ in) cubes 2 litres (2 quarts) canola oil (or other cooking oil) cornflour (cornstarch), for coating ½ onion, diced ½ red bell pepper (capsicum), diced ½ green bell pepper (capsicum), diced ½ yellow bell pepper (capsicum), diced 2 garlic cloves, sliced 3 tablespoons shaoxing rice wine 375 ml (2½ fl oz/1½ cups) Sweet and sour sauce (page 173) 12–16 pieces diced tinned pineapple steamed rice, to serve Marinade 1 small egg 1 teaspoon fine sea salt 1 teaspoon caster (superfine) sugar ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper 1 tablespoon light soy sauce 1 tablespoon shaoxing rice wine 1 tablespoon cornflour (cornstarch) 1 tablespoon plain (all-purpose) flour 2 teaspoons vegetable oil GU LO YUK Sweet and sour pork From all-you-can eat food courts to full-service restaurants, sweet and sour pork is a popular choice. The key to this dish is, unsurprisingly, the perfect balance of sweetness and sourness, and the sauce should be just thick enough to coat all the ingredients, leaving the pork crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside.L at e 153 1 Rinse the pork and pat dry. This is important – if you don’t dry the pork thoroughly, it will affect the crispness later on when you fry it. 2 To make the marinade, combine all the ingredients, except the oil, in a large glass or ceramic dish. Add the pork and turn to coat in the marinade. Leave it for 1–2 minutes, then add the oil and mix well. 3 Pour the cooking oil into a large wok or heavy-based saucepan over medium heat and bring it up to about 160°C (320°F) or until a cube of bread dropped in the oil browns in 30–35 seconds. 4 Meanwhile, lightly coat the pork pieces with cornflour, shaking off the excess. 5 Carefully lower the pork into the oil and fry, untouched, for 1 minute. You don’t want to move it around otherwise the flour coating might drop off. After a minute, gently stir the oil so the pieces loosen up naturally, then continue to fry for another 3 minutes. Remove the pork with a slotted spoon. 6 Increase the heat to high and bring the oil temperature up to 190°C (375°F) or until a cube of bread dropped in the oil browns in 10 seconds. Return the pork to the oil and fry for another 30–60 seconds until golden brown and very crispy. Remove the pork and pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the oil. 7 Reheat the oil over medium heat, add the onion and saute for 30 seconds, then add the bell pepper and cook for another 30 seconds. Add the garlic and stir- fry for another 30 seconds. Pour in the shaoxing wine and the sweet and sour sauce and bring to the boil. Add the pineapple and simmer for 10 seconds. 8 Add the fried pork to the sauce, then immediately remove from the heat and keep stirring. There should be just enough sauce to coat all the ingredients. Serve immediately. With rice of course! Serves 4 1 kg (2 lb 3 oz) pork ribs, cut into 4 cm (1½ in) cubes 2 litres (2 quarts) canola oil (or other cooking oil) cornflour (cornstarch), for coating ½ onion, diced ½ red bell pepper (capsicum), diced ½ green bell pepper (capsicum), diced ½ yellow bell pepper (capsicum), diced 2 garlic cloves, sliced 3 tablespoons shaoxing rice wine 375 ml (2½ fl oz/1½ cups) Sweet and sour sauce (page 173) 12–16 pieces diced tinned pineapple steamed rice, to serve Marinade 1 small egg 1 teaspoon fine sea salt 1 teaspoon caster (superfine) sugar ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper 1 tablespoon light soy sauce 1 tablespoon shaoxing rice wine 1 tablespoon cornflour (cornstarch) 1 tablespoon plain (all-purpose) flour 2 teaspoons vegetable oil GU LO YUK Sweet and sour pork From all-you-can eat food courts to full-service restaurants, sweet and sour pork is a popular choice. The key to this dish is, unsurprisingly, the perfect balance of sweetness and sourness, and the sauce should be just thick enough to coat all the ingredients, leaving the pork crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside.We hope you enjoyed this EYB Book Preview The complete book is available from all major booksellers. Or use the "Buy Book" button and help support EYB.Next >