Beef balls are Chinese food items made with finely pulverized beef and other types of ground meat, such as pork. The tiny tendons in each ball will dissolve during the process of slow cooking. Because the meat in beef balls is pulverized and not ground, it results in a much smoother texture than in regular …
Category: Recipes
Wenchang chicken (Wenchang ji)
Wenchang chicken is one of the most popular poultry dishes in China, specifically the Wenchang city area in Hainan. It is believed that the dish originated during the Ming Dynasty era, when an official from Wenchang had brought the chickens from his hometown and given them to the emperor as a gift. When the …
Shark fin soup (Yu chi geng)
Shark fin soup is a controversial soup with Chinese origins, made with shark fins and flavored with chicken or another type of stock. Shark fin is slightly neutral in flavor, and is used in the dish to add texture. It is believed that the first shark fin soup was invented by an emperor during the …
Ants climbing a tree (Ma yi shang shu)
The unusually named Sichuan dish known as ants climbing a tree consists of glass noodles in a flavorful sauce with ground pork. The name is derived from the visual appearance of the dish, where the glass noodles represent tree branches, the chopped green onions represent leaves, and bits of ground pork represent the ants. As glass …
Egg foo young (Fu rong dan)
The inspiration for this omelet-like dish is believed to have come from fu yung egg slices, an elaborate recipe found in traditional Cantonese cuisine. Literally meaning lotus egg, this Chinese dish consists of lightly beaten eggs with either chopped ham, chicken, crispy-chewy bits of char siu pork, beef, shrimp, or even lobster, and an assortment of vegetables such …
Apple, cheese & potato pie
Ingredients 30g salted butter 1 tbsp vegetable oil 2 large onions halved and finely sliced ½ bunch of thyme leaves picked 30g plain flour 500ml vegetable stock 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard 1 tbsp white wine vinegar 450g potatoes (we used Maris Piper), cut into 2-3cm chunks 3 apples peeled, cored and chopped into 1-2cm chunks …
Slow-cooked pork, cider & sage hotpot
Ingredients 4 tbsp olive oil plus a little extra 1kg diced pork shoulder 20g butter cubed, plus a little extra 4 leeks trimmed and thickly sliced 4 garlic cloves crushed 3 tbsp plain flour 500ml dry cider 400ml chicken stock 2 bay leaves ½ small bunch parsley finely chopped small bunch sage leaves picked, 5 …
Caramel pear blondies Ingredients 250g unsalted butter cubed, plus extra for the tin 3 large eggs 275g light brown soft sugar 25g dark brown muscovado sugar 1 tsp vanilla bean paste 1 tsp fine sea salt 200g plain flour 1 tsp baking powder 100g dried pears roughly chopped 100g dark chocolate roughly chopped 3 tbsp …
Fig sponge pudding
Ingredients 250g butter softened, plus extra for the dish 5 tbsp golden syrup 4 tbsp honey 8 fresh figs 4 large eggs 250g golden caster sugar 250g self-raising flour 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp vanilla extract For the topping 4 tbsp full-fat Greek yogurt 2-3 thyme sprigs (optional) extra virgin olive oil or honey, …
Fig sponge pudding
Ingredients 250g butter softened, plus extra for the dish 5 tbsp golden syrup 4 tbsp honey 8 fresh figs 4 large eggs 250g golden caster sugar 250g self-raising flour 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp vanilla extract For the topping 4 tbsp full-fat Greek yogurt 2-3 thyme sprigs (optional) extra virgin olive oil or honey, …
Next level chicken pie
Ingredients 50g butter 1 leek finely sliced 8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs cut into chunks 1 thyme sprig leaves picked 2 bay leaves 2 tbsp plain flour 100ml white wine or dry sherry 300ml chicken stock 100ml crème fraîche or double cream 1 tbsp mustard (we used wholegrain, but use whatever variety you have) For …
Roast chicken risotto with chicken crackling
Ingredients 1 leftover roast chicken carcass (you’ll need about 300-400g meat, and as much skin as you can get from the carcass) 1 carrot halved lengthways 2 onions 1 unpeeled and halved, 1 peeled and finely chopped 2 bay leaves 2 chicken stock cubes 25g butter plus a large knob 2 tbsp olive oil 3 …
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Pear & blackberry crumble with bay leaf custard
Ingredients For the filling knob of butter plus extra for the dish 6 large pears (Williams, Conference or Comice), peeled, cored and each sliced into 6 thick wedges 100g light muscovado sugar 1⁄2 lemon juiced pinch of ground cinnamon 100g blackberries For the custard (makes 500ml) 2 egg yolks 225ml whole milk plus a splash …
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Three-cheese meatball lasagne
Ingredients 12 sausages 2 tbsp olive oil 2 onions chopped 4 garlic cloves crushed 2 tsp fennel seeds 2 tsp dried oregano or a small handful of fresh oregano leaves, chopped ½ tsp chilli flakes (optional) 1 tbsp sugar 500ml passata 400g can chopped tomatoes 100g butter 2 bay leaves 100g plain flour 1l milk …
Pear & hazelnut clafoutis
Ingredients 45g blanched hazelnuts toasted 30g plain flour 4 medium eggs plus 2 egg yolks 150g caster sugar 200ml milk 300ml double cream 2 tsp vanilla extract 2-3 perfectly ripe pears For the topping 25g blanched hazelnuts icing sugar to serve Method step 1 Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Put the hazelnuts in a …
Chicken, leek & mushroom pies
Ingredients 50g butter 3 leeks washed and finely sliced 1 thyme sprig 100g button mushrooms sliced 20g dried porcini mushrooms roughly crumbled 6 skinless and boneless chicken thighs, cut into chunks 30g flour splash of white wine (optional) 300ml chicken stock 100ml double cream ½ lemon juiced 1 quantity pie pastry (see ‘Goes well with’ …
Meat floss (Rousong)
Rousong is a Chinese dried meat product consisting of fluffy shredded pork that is usually seasoned with sugar and soy sauce. There are two main types of rousong: pork fu and pork sung, where pork fu is less fried, less shredded, and has a lighter color than pork sung. It can be consumed as a topping for …
Zongzi
Zongzi is a Chinese snack made with glutinous rice that is stuffed with various ingredients, wrapped in reeds, lotus, bamboo, or similar large flat leaves, then steamed or boiled. Each type of leaf imparts a unique flavor and aroma to the rice. Common fillings include both savory and sweet ingredients such as yam, boiled peanuts, …
Zhaliang
Originating from Cantonese cuisine, zhaliang refers to traditional Chinese deep-fried crullers wrapped in silky and almost translucent rice sheets. Similar to the plain cruller, zhaliang is commonly served for breakfast, but it is often a part of traditional Cantonese dim sum meals. It is accompanied by a unique, slightly sweetened soy-based sauce, which can be incorporated …
Chinese sauerkraut (Suan cai)
Even though sauerkraut is a German word meaning sour cabbage, Chinese sauerkraut or suan cai, sometimes also called xiān cài, is probably the very first version of sauerkraut, as it is known that the laborers who built the Great Wall of China ate it as standard fare over 2000 years ago. In fact, sauerkraut …
Momo
Momo dumplings were traditionally only filled with minced meat, but nowadays, the fillings have diversified to include vegetables, dairy, or a combination of both. They are native to Tibet and have been brought to the Kathmandu Valley by traveling Newar merchants, and thus Nepal, where they consider them as their own. Thanks to Tibetan …
Zhangcha duck (Zhangcha ya)
Zhangcha duck is a duck smoked with tea and camfor, originating from the Chinese province of Sichuan which is famed for its spicy dishes. The preparation of this meal is a five-step process; first, it’s marinated, then boiled, air-dried, smoked, and finally, fried. When served, pieces of duck meat are topped on gebao — a clam-shaped bun.
Braised abalone (Men bao yu)
Braised abalone is a Chinese dish originating from the Guangdong region. The dish is made by simply braising the mollusk in a soy sauce-based liquid. It is recommended to use fresh abalones because their texture is tender, and they produce a delicate, fresh flavor. Abalones are often covered with scallions, ginger, and coriander before …
Chongqing chicken (Laziji)
Chongqing chicken is a famous Sichuan dish consisting of chicken and chilis. The dish is usually made with chicken on the bone, which is then chopped into small pieces, marinated, and deep-fried. Traditionally, there is almost always more dried red chili peppers in the dish than chicken, nearly covering the meat underneath. The combination of …
Sticky ginger skillet parkin
Ingredients 200g salted butter chopped 85g light brown soft sugar 85g treacle 185g golden syrup 250g self-raising flour 2 tsp ground ginger 1 tsp mixed spice 100g porridge oats 2 large eggs 2 tbsp milk 2 balls stem ginger from a jar, chopped, plus 2 tbsp syrup from the jar, and extra to serve custard …