28 January – Chinese New Year
Here's a few ideas for what you can eat tonight for Chinese New Year
Curried sweetcorn soup with chicken
Ingredients
450g fresh sweetcorn cob or 280g/ 10oz canned sweetcorn, drained
225g skinless, chicken breasts, thinly sliced into long shreds
1 egg white, plus 1 egg, beaten
2 tsp sesame oil
3 tsp cornflour
1.2l chicken stock
1 tbsp Shaohsing rice wine or dry Sherry
1 tbsp curry powder or paste
1 tsp sugar
2 spring onions, finely chopped, to garnish
Method
If you’re using fresh corn, wash the cobs and remove the kernels with a sharp knife or cleaver. Put in a bowl and set aside – you should end up with about 280g.
Mix the chicken shreds with the egg white, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp sesame oil and 1 tsp cornflour in a small bowl and chill for 15 mins. Beat the whole egg and remaining sesame oil together in another small bowl and set aside.
Bring the stock to a simmer in a large pan, add the sweetcorn and simmer for 10 mins, uncovered. Meanwhile, bring a small pan of water to the boil. Turn off the heat and quickly blanch the chicken shreds until they just turn white – about 20 secs. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain well.
Add the Shaohsing rice wine to the stock with the curry powder, 1 tsp salt, the sugar and the remaining cornflour pre-mixed with 2 tsp water. Bring it back to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer for another 5 mins.
Add the blanched chicken shreds, then add the egg and sesame oil mixture in a very slow, thin stream. Using a chopstick or fork, pull the egg slowly into strands.
Ladle into a large bowl, garnish with the spring onions and serve straight away.
Chow mein
Ingredients
225g dried or fresh egg noodles
1 tbsp sesame oil, plus 1 tsp
100g boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into fine shreds
2½ tbsp groundnut oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
50g mangetout, finely shredded
50g Parma ham or cooked ham, finely shredded
2 tsp light soy sauce
2 tsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine or dry Sherry
½ tsp freshly ground white pepper
½ tsp golden caster sugar
2 spring onions, finely chopped
For the marinade
2 tsp light soy sauce
2 tsp Shaoxing rice wine or dry Sherry
1 tsp sesame oil
½ tsp freshly ground white pepper
Method
Cook the noodles in a large pan of boiling water for 3-5 mins, then drain and put them in cold water. Drain thoroughly, toss them with 1 tbsp of the sesame oil and set aside.
Combine the chicken with all the marinade ingredients and ½ tsp salt, mix well and then leave to marinate for about 10 mins.
Heat a wok over a high heat. Add 1 tbsp of the groundnut oil and, when it is very hot and slightly smoking, add the chicken shreds. Stir-fry for about 2 mins and then transfer to a plate. Wipe the wok clean. Reheat the wok until it is very hot, then add the remaining groundnut oil. When the oil is slightly smoking, add the garlic and stir-fry for 10 secs. Then add the mangetout and ham, and stir-fry for about 1 min.
Add the noodles, soy sauces, rice wine or Sherry, pepper, sugar, spring onions and 1 tsp salt. Stir-fry for 2 mins. Return the chicken and any juices to the noodle mixture. Stir-fry for about 3-4 mins or until the chicken is cooked. Add 1 tsp sesame oil and give the mixture a few final stirs. Put on a warm platter and serve immediately.
Toffee & sesame bananas
Ingredients
6 large banana, peeled and quartered
8 tbsp light muscovado sugar
2 tbsp butter
200ml double cream
2 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
good-quality vanilla
ice cream, to serve
Method
Toss the bananas in 2 tbsp of the sugar. Heat a griddle to medium, then cook the bananas, a few pieces at a time, until sticky and showing griddle marks. Keep warm in a low oven.
For the sauce, put the remaining sugar, the butter and cream into a saucepan and stir over a gentle heat until the sugar has melted. Stir in the sesame seeds. Can be made up to a day ahead. To serve, put a few pieces of banana into 8 serving dishes, spoon over some of the caramel, then top with a scoop of ice cream.