In this thread I'll present some videos where I cook simple Chinese dishes that anyone can prepare at home. These might include stir-fries, braised dishes and soups among other things.

Notes:
1. My specialties are Cantonese and Sichuan cuisine.
2. I'll try to make at least one video per month.
3. If you have any questions after watching the video, or want to make your own videos sharing your Chinese cooking (whether by you or by family and friends), please post!

In the first video, I've made stir-fried pork with green peppers. I'm sure many of you have made a stir-fry before, but this is my take on a classic. (I'm also sure some of you will have better knife skills than me.)



Most importantly, I'd like some about whether you like this thread and would be interested to see me make more of these videos, since obviously these would take some time and planning.

If you would like to check out other Chinese cooking videos, here are some channels that I would recommend:
Made With Lau is run by a loving father with a casual and simple approach to Cantonese cuisine. I recommend this channel for beginners.
Chef Wang 美食作家王刚 is a professional chef specialising in Sichuan cuisine. I recommend this channel for people who have cooked Chinese cuisine for at least a few months.

Damn that looks good.
I actually have a recipe stored somewhere that I'll gladly share with you.

I have seen quite some few chinese cooking videos and in many cases half of the ingredients can't be found here, still a good idea.

cool a cooking thread

i don't really do chinese cuisine all too much, but my favourite dish to cook is chinese-style steamed fish:

would like to additionally recommend Chinese Cooking Demystified for cuisines from different regions. its run by a couple (one from Guangzhou, and another is an expat who has been living in China for a LONG TIME), and they give good information on sourcing chinese-specific ingredients, which is pretty helpful for someone without access to asian groceries.

speaking of steamed fish, they have this slightly different recipe that i may try in the future.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1RW0km8Gt2dEw3wuVF1trX78Dr1uUPJaK/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=100416208790268362660&rtpof=true&sd=true
I found said recipe from 16 years ago (at least)

Sounds nice~ If possible, try looking for fresh or dried Chinese egg noodles in your Asian supermarket. You can of course get fresh noodles from Chinatown as well. Fresh alkaline noodles are also great.

Is Cooking with abraker finally outdone? It's been years!

Fun vibes missing from vid to make it more engaging, otherwise this is still more than what OT deserves

My second recipe, Beer Braised Duck!

A spicy and aromatic dish from Sichuan! It's popular as a New Year's Eve dish in Sichuan as it can warm you up during cold winters.


Ingredient list:

1. 500g boneless and skinless duck meat, cut into small pieces (3 deboned duck legs)
2. 1 head of garlic
3. 50g ginger
4. 20g fresh bird's eye chillies
5. Spring onions, white and green parts separated
6. Sliced carrots and enoki mushrooms (optional)
7. 6g dried "Chao Tian Jiao" chillies
8. 2g green Sichuan peppercorns
9. 3 star anise
10. 1 small piece of cinnamon
11. 2 bay leaves
12. 1 black cardamom pod, a.k.a. "Cao Guo"
13. 2 tbsp doubanjiang
14. 1 tbsp light soy sauce
15. 1 tbsp "Zhenjiang" vinegar
16. 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
17. 1 can of beer (330ml)

Notes:

1. Due to the salty nature of the seasonings, no extra salt needed.
2. I braised my duck for 20 minutes, but you can go longer if you prefer a softer texture.
3. There's no reason you can't make this dish with chicken, but the natural gaminess of duck meat likely led to Chinese cooks considering strong and spicy flavours to counteract the gamey taste.

Bump in case anyone has questions about these first two dishes. May not get the next dish out for a while.

Hey everyone, my third recipe is finally out! It's my take on a dish you'll find all over China: Fried rice! Specifically, Cantonese style fried rice that you'll find in Hong Kong and southern China. I've topped mine with crispy garlic and pork chops. You can easily double or triple the recipe, too!


Garlic Fried Rice with Pork Chops - Serves 2

Pork chops:

1. 300g bone-in pork loin chops (you can also use boneless pork chops, butterflied chicken breasts or boneless chicken thighs)
2. 2 tsp light soy sauce
3. 2 tsp oyster sauce
4. 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
5. 1 tsp five-spice powder
6. 1/2 tsp sugar
7. 1/2 tsp white pepper
8. 1/4 tsp salt
9. 1 tsp cornstarch (for marinade)
10. 1/4 cup cornstarch (for batter)

Fried rice:

1. 2 cups leftover cooked rice
2. 1 head of garlic, divided into half sliced and half minced
3. Sliced spring onions, white and green parts separated
4. 2 eggs
5. 1 dried "Lap Cheong" Chinese sausage
6. 1-2 tbsp light soy sauce (season to taste)
7. 1/2 tsp salt (season to taste)
8. Pinch of white pepper
9. 1 tbsp sesame oil (optional, I missed it in the video)
10. Cooking oil

rice is so versatile... <3 i imagine the is true for the meats included in these recipes but i normally dont focus on them much except for boiled and shredded chicken with mexican mole sauce

cant watch this right now bc im busy with family emergencies without wi-fi, mobile data is limited, still sending appreciation your way :> maybe i'll bump this on a much later day when i'm home

OT!Chef ??? LESSGOOOOOOO

Show me how to make crispy chow mein with that whatever dressing/sause they soak the noodles in. Believe it's Cantonese style

Sure! Though I think the sauce we eat with crispy chow mein here is only slightly sweet but mostly savoury.

yam yam

My next recipe is here! Hong Kong Style Fried Noodles, or 港式煎面, is not your average fried noodle dish. The highlight of this dish is noodles that are fried in oil until crispy, served with ingredients and topped with delicious savoury sauce to coat everything! This dish is often called "Crispy Chow Mein" or similar variations in American Chinese restaurants. It's also sometimes called 两面黄, which roughly translates to noodles that are golden brown on both sides. Interestingly, this dish was not originally from Hong Kong or even Guangdong province. The techniques used in this dish originated in Shanghai! Here's how I make it.


Hong Kong Style Fried Noodles - Serves 2

Main ingredients:

1. 180g dried Hong Kong style noodles / chow mein (or fresh noodles)
2. 150g boneless chicken thigh (or 200g bone-in thigh; watch the video for deboning process)
3. 6 medium prawns or shrimp, peeled and deveined
4. 100g Chinese cabbage
5. 100g shiitake mushrooms (or king oyster mushrooms)
6. 80g yellow onion
7. 40g carrot
8. Pinch of white pepper
9. 1 tbsp sesame oil
10. Cooking oil

Sauce (for chicken and noodles; double the quantities if you like more sauce):

1. 1 tbsp light soy sauce
2. 1 tbsp oyster sauce
3. 1/2 tsp sugar
4. 1 tsp cornstarch (or potato starch if you have it)
5. Water
6. Additional cornstarch slurry (or potato starch if you have it)

For processing the chicken and prawns (or shrimp):

1. Water
2. Rice vinegar
3. Cornstarch
4. A pinch of salt

Note: If you use an iron wok like me, you will need to use a fair bit of cooking oil for this dish. If you have a nonstick pan and wish to use less oil, you can use this video as a guide.

Hi Aleron, good thread much love

OT!Masterchef season 1 coming soon?

omg thx

BEST. THREAD. EVER. MADE.

Are you a spice devil? I've created a recipe you're sure to enjoy! I call it Hot and Spicy Stir-Fried Beef, or 麻辣小炒牛肉. As in my stir-fried pork video, the trick to getting your stir-fry sliced meat tender is to use a combination of egg white and cornstarch (or potato starch), which prevents the muscle fibres in the meat from seizing up when cooking. The best part is, you can easily change the side ingredients to suit your tastes. This dish goes especially well with rice or a cold beer. I hope you enjoy the flavours and aromas of Sichuan and Chongqing cuisine through this dish!


Hot and Spicy Stir-Fried Beef - Serves 2

Main ingredient:

1. 200g flank steak (you may also use New York strip or tenderloin, but try to avoid very tough cuts like eye of round)

Side ingredients:

1. 100g onion
2. 100g screw peppers (or green peppers)
3. 30g ginger
4. 20g garlic
5. 20g hot and spicy soup base (look for a packet labelled "麻辣火锅底料" in your Chinatown market)
6. 10g red bird's eye chillies
7. 10g dried chillies
8. 10g pickled wild mountain peppers (look for a jar labelled "野山椒" in your Chinatown market)
9. 2 tbsp red Sichuan peppercorns
10. 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
11. 1 tsp chicken essence
12. Pinch of white pepper
13. Cooking oil
14. Salt or light soy sauce (optional)*

*Note that spicy soup bases often have a high sodium content, so you may not need any additional salty seasonings.

Beef marinade:

1. 1 tbsp light soy sauce
2. 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
3. 1 tbsp oyster sauce
4. 1 tbsp cooking oil
5. 1/2 egg white
6. 2 tsp cornstarch (or potato starch)

Additional ingredients you may add or change according to taste:

1. Swap bird's eye chillies with jalapeños or other less spicy chillies for reduced heat
2. Young ginger (add after cooking off Shaoxing wine)
3. Bean sprouts (add after cooking off Shaoxing wine)
4. Coriander / cilantro (add just before serving)
5. Spring onions (add white parts after cooking off Shaoxing wine, and green parts just before serving)

Man, I'm adding all of these to my repertoire.
I've got some cabbage that I need to cook, any suggestions?

TeeArctic1 wrote: 4x1x3m

Man, I'm adding all of these to my repertoire.
I've got some cabbage that I need to cook, any suggestions?

You can enable English subtitles.

Edit: Good to see you again, it's been a while. I took a hiatus and came back not too long ago myself.

It's finally here, my next two, yes, two recipes! Stir-Fried Cabbage with Pork (肉炒包菜) & Taiwanese Braised Pork Belly with Rice or Noodles (卤肉饭 / 卤肉面)! I will also show you how to identify which part of a slab of pork belly is best suited for which purpose.

Ingredients:


Stir-Fried Cabbage with Pork (肉炒包菜) - Serves 2 (as a main dish) or 3-4 (with rice and other dishes)

Main ingredients:

1. 300g cabbage
2. 150g skinless sliced pork belly (preferably 70% fat)

Side ingredients:

1. 20g garlic
2. 5g dried chillies
3. 1 tbsp light soy sauce
4. 1 tsp fermented black beans (look for a jar or packet labelled "豆豉" in your Chinatown market)*
5. Pinch of white pepper
6. 1/2 tsp salt
7. Cooking oil (only if you have lean pork belly)

*Whole beans are highly recommended, but fermented black bean paste (e.g. by Lee Kum Kee) will also work. This product does not contain broad beans and is therefore safe for those with G6PD deficiency.

Taiwanese Braised Pork Belly (台湾卤肉) - Serves 5-6 (with rice or noodles)

Serving options:

1. Plain steamed white rice (白饭)
2. Congee (粥)
3. Knife-sliced wheat noodles (刀削面)
4. Flat egg noodles (面薄)
5. Flat wide rice noodles (河粉)
6. You may accordingly use brown/wholegrain carbohydrates if you wish
7. Thin varieties of noodles are not recommended

Main ingredient:

1. 750g skin-on pork belly (at least 30% fat, preferably equal parts lean and fat)

Side ingredients:

1. 80g onion, minced
2. 30g ginger, sliced
3. 20g rock sugar (or white/brown granulated sugar)
4. 1/3 cup (80ml) light soy sauce
5. 1/4 cup (60ml) dark soy sauce
6. Appropriate amount of water
7. Spice packet (preferably, see below) or 1 tbsp five-spice powder
8. Cornstarch (or potato starch) slurry
9. Pinch of white pepper
10. Cooking oil

You may also optionally add boiled eggs or shiitake mushrooms to braise together with the pork. Try to keep a bit of sauce so that you can add flavour to rice or noodles of your choice.

Spice packet:

1. 3 bay leaves
2. 1 stick cinnamon
3. 2 pieces dried orange peels
4. 5g star anise (2 big pieces)
5. 8 cloves
6. 1 tsp fennel seeds

For searing and blanching the pork belly:

1. Appropriate amount of water
2. Ginger and scallion slices (can be trimmings)
3. 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine

Cute.

Tateshina Eve wrote: 14j4z

Are you a spice devil? I've created a recipe you're sure to enjoy! I call it Hot and Spicy Stir-Fried Beef, or 麻辣小炒牛肉. As in my stir-fried pork video, the trick to getting your stir-fry sliced meat tender is to use a combination of egg white and cornstarch (or potato starch), which prevents the muscle fibres in the meat from seizing up when cooking. The best part is, you can easily change the side ingredients to suit your tastes. This dish goes especially well with rice or a cold beer. I hope you enjoy the flavours and aromas of Sichuan and Chongqing cuisine through this dish!


Hot and Spicy Stir-Fried Beef - Serves 2

Main ingredient:

1. 200g flank steak (you may also use New York strip or tenderloin, but try to avoid very tough cuts like eye of round)

Side ingredients:

1. 100g onion
2. 100g screw peppers (or green peppers)
3. 30g ginger
4. 20g garlic
5. 20g hot and spicy soup base (look for a packet labelled "麻辣火锅底料" in your Chinatown market)
6. 10g red bird's eye chillies
7. 10g dried chillies
8. 10g pickled wild mountain peppers (look for a jar labelled "野山椒" in your Chinatown market)
9. 2 tbsp red Sichuan peppercorns
10. 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
11. 1 tsp chicken essence
12. Pinch of white pepper
13. Cooking oil
14. Salt or light soy sauce (optional)*

*Note that spicy soup bases often have a high sodium content, so you may not need any additional salty seasonings.

Beef marinade:

1. 1 tbsp light soy sauce
2. 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
3. 1 tbsp oyster sauce
4. 1 tbsp cooking oil
5. 1/2 egg white
6. 2 tsp cornstarch (or potato starch)

Additional ingredients you may add or change according to taste:

1. Swap bird's eye chillies with jalapeños or other less spicy chillies for reduced heat
2. Young ginger (add after cooking off Shaoxing wine)
3. Bean sprouts (add after cooking off Shaoxing wine)
4. Coriander / cilantro (add just before serving)
5. Spring onions (add white parts after cooking off Shaoxing wine, and green parts just before serving)

i luv spicy food, after seeing this i want to eat but i can't ;-;

After Ramadan bro! I want rendang and ayam masak merah too...

Hopefully you can order a halal certified mala base from a Singapore seller on Lazada or Shopee if you can't find it where you are.

To the rest of you, expect a chicken dish next time~

Tateshina Eve wrote: 14j4z

After Ramadan bro! I want rendang and ayam masak merah too...

Hopefully you can order a halal certified mala base from a Singapore seller on Lazada or Shopee if you can't find it where you are.

To the rest of you, expect a chicken dish next time~

LESSGOOOOOOOOOOO

Of course I didn't forget about this thread! A classic dish from Guangdong and Hong Kong, this is the Chinese take on a roast chicken. Here's my recipe for Cantonese Style Roast Chicken, or 港式烧鸡! This recipe is in large part based on the recipe by none other than the legend himself, Made With Lau! Get his recipe here.

What I did differently was make congee to go with my roast chicken, and used the chicken bones to flavour the congee. However, as it's more traditional to cut the chicken through the bones and leave every piece bone-on, the legend does it himself in his video (skip to 13:17 to see the cutting of the chicken)!

You can compare my video and the master's video. The master surely did better, though!



Cantonese Style Roast Chicken with Congee - Serves 4

Main ingredient:

1. 1 small whole chicken, feet removed, head left on or removed (about 1 kg)

You may use a bigger chicken up to 2 kg to feed more people. In that case, be sure to scale the ingredients in the marinade and salt cure accordingly.

Marinade (for the chicken cavity):

1. 10g spring onions, minced
2. 10g ginger, minced
3. 1 tbsp oyster sauce
4. 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
5. 1 tbsp five-spice powder
6. 2 pieces red fermented bean curd
7. 1/2 tsp salt
8. 1/2 tsp sugar

You may also add white pepper and up to 1 tbsp of Shaoxing wine.

Salt cure (for the chicken skin):

1. 1% of the weight of the chicken in salt (10g in my case)
2. 0.5% of the weight of the chicken in five-spice powder (5g in my case)

Rub the cure all over the skin and leave on for just 1-2 hours. This flavours the skin and the outside of the chicken, since we used all the marinade on the inside.

Water and vinegar bath:

1. Boiled hot water
2. 3 tbsp red vinegar
3. 2 tbsp rice vinegar
4. 2 tsp maltose (or honey)
5. Bamboo skewers (optional)

An essential step in Cantonese Style Roast Chicken, we blanch the skin with boiling water to tighten it and get it crispier. This also rinses off the salt cure. You may paint on the vinegar bath after letting the chicken dry for 1-2 hours, or better yet, in the fridge overnight. Bamboo skewers are optional but highly recommended for sealing the cavity so that juices don't drip out from the chicken while roasting.

Congee:

1. 1 rice cooker cup (about 3/4 US cup or 180g) rice, washed
2. 6 cups water (prepare an extra 1-2 cups for later)
3. Salt
4. Julienned ginger
5. Chopped spring onion greens

You may also add white pepper, although I prefer to leave it to the guests whether they like a spicy taste in their congee. I simply toss my chicken bones in after carving the chicken, although you may leave them on the side to make the congee easier to eat for young children and the elderly.

Ginger and spring onion dipping sauce:

1. 25g ginger, minced
2. 25g spring onion whites, minced
3. 1 tbsp chicken fat (or regular cooking oil)
4. Salt
5. Sesame oil

Sauté the ginger and then the spring onions in a pan. Pour out into a serving bowl and add salt and sesame oil to taste.

Chilli dipping sauce:

1. 5g ginger, minced
2. 5 cloves garlic, minced
3. 3 red bird's eye chillies, sliced
4. Juice from 2 small limes (or 1 big lime)
5. Salt
6. Water

Add all the ingredients except water into a mortar and pestle and pound until well-combined (or use a food processor). Then, add water until it reaches your desired consistency. Pour out into a serving bowl.

May I request ants climbing a tree? I know how to make it, but I want to see how you make it.

Sure. Be sure to use mung bean noodles or sweet potato noodles if you can (the latter is what you'd find in japchae in Korea). Wheat noodles have a different texture which would make it more similar to zhajiangmian (炸酱面).

Current backlog

1) Duck Char Kway Teow
2) Ants climbing a tree
3) Some fish recipe (still deciding)

Today's dish is my take on another Cantonese classic, Duck Chow Fun or 干炒鸭河! The classic version is made with beef and therefore called 干炒牛河. However, as some of my friends don't eat beef, I figured that duck would come out pretty similar. Also, I show you how to use ginger and scallion juice as both a marinade and a tenderising liquid together with cornstarch (instead of egg white). The juice gets rid of the gamey taste and since it's used in lieu of cooking wine, this dish uses no alcohol and is halal!

Side notes:
1) Ginger juice is especially good for marinating fish. It removes any fishy taste and promotes postnatal recovery for new mothers.
2) Note in general that water can be used instead of egg white for marinating meat, but it tends to dilute the meaty flavour whereas egg white retains the flavour better. In this case it's okay to use water since we desire to remove the gamey taste of duck meat as well.

Again, compare mine with the master's!



Duck Chow Fun - Serves 4

Main ingredients:

1. 2 boneless, skinless duck breasts, sliced into 5mm thickness
2. 400g flat rice noodles (沙河粉)

Duck skin cracklings: Cut the duck skin into small pieces and boil with water and some green Sichuan peppercorns to remove the stench. This will render out the fat without burning the skin cracklings. Save the rendered fat once the water has cooked off.

Side ingredients:

1. 100g mung bean sprouts
2. 50g leeks (or spring onions)
3. 1 small red onion, sliced
4. 20g garlic, minced
5. 4 eggs

You may also add 20g julienned carrots or other vegetables if you like more vegetables, but there should not be more vegetables than meat or noodles.

Duck marinade:

1. 10g spring onion greens + 10g minced ginger (for ginger and spring onion juice)
2. Water
3. 1 tbsp light soy sauce
4. 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
5. 2 tsp oyster sauce
6. 1/2 tsp salt
7. 1/2 tsp sugar
8. Pinch of white pepper

Noodle sauce:

1. 1 tbsp light soy sauce
2. 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
3. 1 tsp sweet wheat sauce (or 1/2 tsp sugar)

another banger

i really want to eat

cant wait for you to open an OT!Restaurant

Gonna bookmark this and learn to make all the dishes in the future (*´・ω-)b

Two new recipes today - both Sichuan specialties! One is Twice-Cooked Pork (回锅肉) and the other is Ants Climbing A Tree (蚂蚁上树)! I actually recorded the Twice-Cooked Pork video first, having bought a big slab of pork belly but only using part of it, and chopped the trimmings into ground meat which I froze and later used for the Ants Climbing A Tree video.

As the name implies, Twice-Cooked Pork goes through two main cooking steps. The first step is to cook a piece of pork belly all the way through, resulting in tender meat and soft skin. Then, it's thinly sliced and stir-fried the same way as fresh meat. The result is a spicy, flavourful, melt-in-your-mouth pork belly dish with refreshing side ingredients. The beauty is that you can add your own vegetables of choice such as onions, red peppers or even asparagus.


Twice-Cooked Pork (回锅肉) - Serves 3-4

Main ingredient:

1. 400g skin-on pork belly

Side ingredients:

1. 100g screw peppers (about 2 screw peppers)
2. 100g wood ear fungus (black fungus), sliced
3. 50g leeks, sliced and with stem and leaves separated
4. 30g carrot, cut into diamond pieces
5. 20g ginger, cut into diamond pieces
6. 20g garlic, minced
7. 2 tbsp hot broad bean paste (doubanjiang, 豆瓣酱)
8. 1 tbsp fermented black beans (douchi, 豆豉)
9. 1 tbsp light soy sauce (not mixed into the sauce; tossed in the side of the wok)
10. 2 tsp black vinegar (not mixed into the sauce; tossed in the side of the wok)
11. Cooking oil
12. Cooking wine (for boiling the pork belly)

Sauce:

1. 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
2. 1 tsp sweet wheat sauce (or sugar)
3. 1 tsp chicken powder
4. 1/2 tsp salt

Despite the less than appetising name, Ants Climbing A Tree is simply a noodle dish topped with spicy ground pork which clings to the noodles, a little bit like Spaghetti Bolognese. My personal choice of noodles are sweet potato noodles as these have a chewy texture and don't soften easily, and I find mung bean noodles to be a bit too thin for this purpose. That said, don't let that stop you from using mung bean noodles or rice vermicelli if you're not able to find sweet potato noodles. This dish is usually made to serve with rice and is made saltier in that case, but since sweet potato noodles are already high in calories, I decided to make the seasoning lighter here so that the noodles can be eaten on their own. Thus, no salt is needed for this recipe, but do taste the noodles on your own and add a pinch if necessary.


Ants Climbing A Tree (蚂蚁上树) - Serves 3-4

Main ingredients:

1. 250g dried sweet potato noodles, rehydrated
2. 200g ground pork (or chicken)

Side ingredients:

1. 35g ginger - 20g cut into fine strips, 15g finely minced
2. 30g spring onions
3. 20g garlic, finely minced
4. 5g dried chillies + 3g fresh spicy chillies (for making chilli powder; substitute 2 tbsp store-bought chilli powder)
5. 1 tbsp hot broad bean paste (doubanjiang, 豆瓣酱)
6. 1 tbsp light soy sauce
7. 2 tsp black vinegar
8. 1 tsp dark soy sauce
9. 1/2 tsp chicken powder
10. Pinch of white pepper
11. 1 tbsp sesame oil (drizzle just before serving)
12. Cooking oil

Two more recipes in this one - Stir-Fried Beef with Coriander (香菜炒牛肉) and Garlic Steamed Prawns with Noodles (蒜蓉粉丝蒸虾)!

Beef with coriander is a home-style dish which pairs the strong herbal notes of coriander with rich and tender beef slices. It's a way to whet the appetite with less meat; just pair it with other side dishes and some rice and you're good to go. Steamed prawns with noodles, dressed with a generous amount of minced garlic is a Cantonese banquet classic that's loved by all ages. The prawns are steamed with the head and shell partially intact to lock in the juices and make for a stunning presentation. It's also risk-free since the only cooking step besides preparation is steaming for 6 minutes - no additional steps required!


Stir-Fried Beef with Coriander - Serves 2

Main ingredients:

1. 200g flank steak, 3mm slices against the grain
2. 50g coriander, leaves and stems separated

Side ingredients:

1. 30g spring onion whites, cut into segments
2. 20g ginger, diced
3. 20g garlic, minced
4. 3-4 bird's eye chillies, minced
5. Coriander roots, minced (optional)
6. 1 tbsp light soy sauce
7. 1 tbsp black vinegar
8. 1/2 tsp chicken powder
9. Cooking oil

Beef marinade:

1. 1 tbsp light soy sauce
2. 1 tbsp oyster sauce
3. 1 tsp dark soy sauce
4. 1/2 tsp salt
5. 1/2 tsp white pepper
6. 1/4 tsp sugar
7. 1/2 egg white
8. 2 tsp cornstarch
9. 1 tbsp oil

Garlic Steamed Prawns with Noodles - Serves 3-4

Main ingredients:

1. 12 prawns, head and shell on (about 30-40g each)
2. 2 whole heads garlic, finely minced (about 80g)

Side ingredients:

1. 150g dried sweet potato noodles, rehydrated (or use rice vermicelli)
2. 40g ginger, half minced and half julienned
3. 3-4 bird's eye chillies, minced (optional, not used in the traditional recipe)
4. 15g spring onion greens

The noodles are well seasoned and meant to be eaten together with the prawns, so to keep the dish light I did not add salt to my prawns. You may rub each prawn with a tiny pinch of salt if you wish.

Noodle sauce:

1. 1 tbsp light soy sauce
2. 1 tbsp oyster sauce
3. 1 tsp dark soy sauce
4. 1/2 tsp salt
5. 1/4 tsp sugar

Due to the strong umami flavour of tomalley (prawn head juices), monosodium glutamate or chicken powder is not needed.

Note on tenderising beef using baking soda: It works well on tough cuts like eye of round, and is what your affordable Chinese takeout t does, but the meat usually lacks a beefy taste. For home cooking, while flank steak is more expensive, it's relatively tender and has a strong beefy flavour, which is why I like to use it.

Nice recipies! I will try them at home

Today I'm sharing with you a dish of my own creation, inspired by my love of duck as a versatile protein and griddle-cooked dishes for their spicy and deeply savoury flavour: Hotplate Duck, or 铁板烧鸭! The duck is first braised for tenderness and a base flavour, and then stir-fried for a savoury finish. You can also use chicken meat or pork ribs; the braising time would be similar for pork ribs but slightly shorter for chicken. I braised my meat for 20 minutes, but you can go longer if you prefer more tender meat.

I also show you briefly how to stir-fry bok choy (also known as Shanghai greens, 生炒上海青) which can easily be adapted to other green vegetables. However, the blanching time will increase if you use thicker vegetables such as kailan or broccoli.


Hotplate Duck (铁板烧鸭) - Serves 4-6, depending on meat used

Main ingredient:

1. 1 kg bone-in duck (1/2 duck, serves 4), or
2. 1 kg boneless duck (3-4 boneless duck legs, serves 5-6)

You may also prepare this dish with other types of meat. Here are my recommended braising times:

1. Chicken meat: 10 minutes (or 20 minutes for old chickens)
2. Duck meat or pork ribs: 20-30 minutes
3. Flank cut beef short ribs can be used too: 30-45 minutes

Side ingredients:

1. 250g eggplant, sliced into wedges
2. 200g red bell pepper, sliced into triangles
3. 80g red onion (used as base ingredient for hotplate)
4. 50g white leeks (used as base ingredient for hotplate)
5. 50g green leeks (for stir-fry)
6. 50g spicy soup base (麻辣火锅底料)
7. 40g garlic, roughly diced
8. 30g ginger, finely diced
9. 10g bird's eye chillies, sliced diagonally
10. Cooking oil

To prevent the eggplant from oxidising once it's been cut, you can rub it with 1 tsp white vinegar and 2 tsp cornstarch.

Braising liquid:

1. Water
2. 2 tbsp light soy sauce
3. 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
4. 1 tsp sugar
5. 1 tsp chicken powder
6. 1/2 tsp white pepper

Stir-Fried Bok Choy / Shanghai Greens (生炒上海青) - Serves 3-4

Main ingredients:

1. 300g bok choy or Shanghai greens, preferably baby ones
2. 200g king oyster mushrooms, sliced diagonally to 1.5 cm thickness

Side ingredients:

1. 20g garlic, minced
2. 1 tbsp oyster sauce (use vegetarian oyster sauce or light soy sauce for vegetarian)
3. 1/2 tsp salt
4. Cooking oil