Fancy a Chinese dinner this weekend? Don’t sweat it with these wok-based winners from Ching-He Huang
Tiger prawn & cabbage fried rice
I love to add cabbage to fried rice, as it imparts a sweet crunchiness to the dish and, when paired with wok-fried garlic, it is some kind of wonderful! You can use cooked giant tiger prawns for quicker results, but ensure you choose a good-quality variety and move fast once they are added to the wok, as you don’t want them to turn rubbery.
■ Serves 2 ■ Prep 25 mins ■ Cook 5 mins
1 tbsp rapeseed oil, plus 1 tsp
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
200g white cabbage leaves (keep the
centre stalk for vegetable stock),
leaves torn into bite-sized pieces
1 tbsp Shaohsing rice wine or dry sherry
3 tbsp vegetable stock
350g cooked and cooled jasmine rice
(175g uncooked)
200g tiger prawns, cooked
50g frozen peas, cooked
1 tbsp low-sodium light soy sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
large pinch of freshly ground
white pepper
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 Heat a wok over a high heat and add 1 tbsp rapeseed oil. Add the garlic and stir-fry for a few seconds, then add the cabbage and stir-fry for 1 min. Season with the Shaohsing rice wine or dry sherry, then add the vegetable stock to create steam to help cook the cabbage. Cook for another minute until the cabbage has softened. (If there is any excess liquid in the wok, pour it into a small bowl and reserve to use as a seasoning later if the rice is a little dry.)
2 Return the wok to the heat, push the cabbage to one side and add 1 tsp rapeseed oil. Add the jasmine rice and fry together for 1 min, then add the tiger prawns and peas and toss until all the ingredients are thoroughly combined.
3 Season with the light soy sauce, oyster sauce, ground white pepper and toasted sesame oil and toss together well. Serve in bowls immediately.
Beef & spinach fried rice
If you have some cooked basmati rice to hand, this dish is incredibly quick to make. If you want to make it carb-free then omit the rice and add some long-stem broccoli or Chinese leaf to make the dish go further.
■ Serves 2 ■ Prep 20 mins ■ Cook 6 mins
2 tbsp rapeseed oil
1 garlic clove, crushed and finely
chopped
200g spinach leaves
300g cooked basmati rice (150g
uncooked)
1 tbsp low-sodium light soy sauce
1 tsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
pinch of ground white pepper
FOR THE BEEF
100g beef sirloin steak, fat trimmed off,
sliced into thin strips
knob of ginger, grated
1 tbsp Shaohsing rice wine or dry sherry
1 Combine all the ingredients for the beef in a bowl, then set aside.
2 Heat a wok over a high heat and add 1 tbsp rapeseed oil. Add the garlic and stir-fry for a few seconds to release its flavour, then add the spinach and cook for about 5 seconds. 3 Tip in
