Blackcurrant tart

For a few years I have a very good harvest of blackcurrants, which are turned into jam for storage. I like to make jam with less sugar than the norm, and so my blackcurrant jam is quite sharp.

A blackcurrant tart with short crust pastry and almond cream filling is delicious, as the tartness of blackcurrant is balanced by the richness of almond cream and the pastry. 

Drunken ‘Ma’ pork cheek

1. Bring to boil a pot of mild stock, add pieces of pork cheek with a thermometer poked into the middle of the thickest piece of meat. When stock boils again, lower the heat to minimum, take pork cheeks out when thermometer register 70˚C.

2. In a shallow big dish, add half a cup of Xiao Xing wine (Chinese cooking wine), with a cup of stock, season with salt, sugar, white pepper, and Sichuan pepper infused oil (Ma flavor).

3. Cut pork cheek into thin slices, cooking slowly at lower temperature, the texture of pork cheek is crunchy. Add into wine sauce for at least half an hour before serving. Serve at room temperature.

Eggplant with Chinese sausage

I like the long thin variety of eggplant that is popular in Asia, the skin is light purple, and its softer than the dark purple version.

1. Steam Chinese pork sausage (lap-cheung) until cooked, around 15 minutes, cut into thick slices.

2. Cut eggplant into wedges by rotating the vegetable while cutting at an angle.

3. Heat minced ginger in a pan with oil, add eggplant and stir fry for a couple of minutes, add cooking wine, soya sauce, sugar, half cup of water, mix well, add Chinese pork sausage, cover with lid and cook at medium heat for 5 minutes, until eggplant is soft and the sauce is reduced to nearly dry. 

Chicken with nut sauce

1. Bring to boil a big pot of mild stock, add a whole chicken with a thermometer poked into the thigh, the water should be enough to cover the chicken. When the stock boils again, turn to very low heat. Take chicken out when thermometer registers 80˚C. When cool, remove chicken meat and shred into bite size pieces. Cooked slowly at lower temperature, the meat stays juicy.

2. Drizzle olive oil on a whole head of garlic and wrap in aluminium foil. Bake at 180˚C for 30 minutes until soft.

3. Blend roasted cashew nuts with roasted garlic, lemon juice, mustard sauce, salt, white pepper and sugar until smooth, adjust thickness by adding stock. This sauce has a mild nutty taste with undertone of garlic & lemon.

4. Cut chives finely, mix into sauce, and mix with chicken meat. 

Lamb fillet with sesame

Lamb fillet is easy to cook, tender and mild  flavoured, suitable even for those who find other cuts of lamb strong tasting.

1. Season lamb fillet with salt & pepper for half an hour.

2. Cover fillet with sesame seeds on all sides. In a medium hot pan with a little olive oil, sear the fillets 2 minutes each side. Rest for a minute before serving. It is so juicy that there is no need to serve with a sauce.