Salt and pepper Sichuan prawns with soy chilli dipping sauce

Garnish

Spring onion
Red chilli

Sauce
5 tbsp mirin
4 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tsp soft light brown sugar
1 red chilli, (seeds removed if you prefer it slightly less hot), finely sliced
1 green chilli, (seeds removed if you prefer it slightly less hot), finely sliced

For the prawns
½ tsp Sichuan pepper seeds
flaked sea salt
2 tsp five-spice powder
Raw, peeled tiger prawns, deveined
1 tsp sunflower oil

Prepare the garnishes. Cut the spring onion in half across and then cut each piece into really thin lengthwise strips
Halve the chilli lengthwise, deseed and then slice it into long, thin strips.
Put them into a bowl of cold water so they curl and look fancy.

Make the sauce. Simply stir everything together in a small bowl.

Using a pestle and mortar, grind up the Sichuan pepper with a pinch of salt until fairly smooth. Tip this mixture into a small, dry wok, add the five spice and toast over a low to medium heat for 1-2 minutes or so, stirring regularly until you start to smell the spices. Tip the spices into a bowl and toss the prawns through to coat evenly.

Return the wok to a high heat and add the oil. Stir fry the spice coated prawns for two minutes until pink throughout. Serve at once.

Korean Duck Bolgogi

Serves: 4
Prep - 5 mins plus marinading
Cook 25 mins

4 Duck breast
2 tbsp Vegetable oil
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 ½ tbsp soy sauce
4 spring onions, roughly chopped
2 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
5 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tbsp sugar

Add all ingredients for the marinade to a bowl.

Remove the skin from the duck breast. Add to the the marinade ensuring each duck breast is coated. 

Store covered in a bowl in the fridge for 1 to 24 hours.

Preheat oven 200°C/ Fan 180°C/ Gas Mark 6. When ready to cook. Heat a frying pan on medium heat with a little cooking oil. Remove the breast from the marinade, allowing for excess to drip off.

Cook the duck breasts in the pan for 5 mins on each side until they are starting to colour. Transfer to a baking tray and cook for 8-12 mins.

Whist the duck is in the oven heat the remaining marinade in a pan till bubbling for 2 mins. Keep stirring to avoid it catching on the bottom. This sauce can added to your dish for extra flavour.

Remove the duck from the oven and leave to rest for 5 mins. Slice and serve over sticky rice with kimchi, spring onion and chilli.

Note: worked really well in the Ninga Foodi on Bake at 180c, lovely and moist. I cooked the rice using the stock made from the duck carcass,

Carrot soup

https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/carrot_soup_23577

200g/7oz butter
2 tbsp coriander seeds
2 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tsp dried red chilli flakes
½ tsp ground turmeric
1 onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp sea salt flakes, or to taste
6 garlic cloves, crushed
1kg/2lb 4oz carrots, peeled and grated
1 medium–large potato, peeled and grated
2 oranges, zest and juice
1 litre/1¾ pints vegetable stock
chilli oil, to drizzle
chopped fresh coriander leaves, to garnish

Heat the butter in a large stock pot, casserole or saucepan over a medium heat. As soon as the butter has melted, add the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, chilli flakes and turmeric and cook for a few minutes.

Add the onion and salt and cook until the onions are soft. The add the garlic.

Add the carrot and potato, mix to combine everything and cook over a high heat.

Add the orange zest and juice. Pour in the stock and boil rapidly for about 10 minutes. Turn the heat down and leave to simmer with the lid on for 30 minutes. As soon as the carrots are tender, blend with a hand blender until smooth and velvety.

Serve in warmed bowls. Drizzle over some chilli oil and sprinkle on the coriander.

Nigella's Korean Keema (with Lamb Mince and Eggs)

https://hotcooking.co.uk/recipes/nigella-korean-keema/

Prep 15m
Cook 20m
Total 35m

Serves: 2

150g rice (basmati, brown, sushi)

Sauce

2 tbsp gochujang
1 tbsp honey (or ½ tablespoon, see notes)
1 tbsp Chinese rice wine
2 tbsp soy sauce

Keema

250g mince (lamb or turkey)
125g frozen petit pois
6 thin (or 3 fat) spring onions
1 tsp vegetable oil (or groundnut)
2 tbsp Chinese rice wine
4 tbsp water (optional, I don't add this)

To finish (optional)
2 tsp chilli oil
2 eggs
1-2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander

Rice: Cook 150g of rice according to the instructions on the packet. Fill and boil the kettle for the peas.

Sauce/keema: In a bowl that can hold the mince, combine 2 tablespoons of gochujang, 1 tablespoon of honey (or ½ tablespoon, see notes), 1 tablespoon of Chinese rice wine and 2 tablespoons of soy sauce. Add 250g of lamb or turkey mince - use a fork to break it up and stir it into the sauce. Leave to steep for 5 minutes.

Put a wok or heavy bottomed pan over a medium heat. While it heats up, add 125g of petit pois to a colander and pour over boiled water from the kettle, letting the water drain away. Slice 6 thin (or 3 fat) spring onions.

Add 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil to the wok then add the sliced spring onions and the peas. Stir fry for 3-4 minutes.

Add the mince and sauce to the pan. Stir fry for 4-5 minutes or until cooked through.

Eggs (optional): Place a small frying pan over a medium heat. Add 2 teaspoons of chilli oil and crack in 2 eggs. Fry until the whites have cooked. Set to one side.

Keema: Add 2 tablespoons of Chinese rice wine and 4 tablespoons of water (optional) to the bowl that held the mince, swill (to combine with any remaining sauce) and pour into the wok. Stir fry for another 30 seconds or so until everything has heated through.

To serve: Spoon the keema over the rice and top with the fried eggs (if using) Scatter over 1-2 tablespoons of chopped, fresh coriander.