Great Chinese recipes

by Jake Fallon. Published Thu 12 Jan 2012 12:25

Great Chinese recipes

Utilising a range of ingredients and spices, Chinese cuisine is known for its variety and diversity. Subtly blending flavours together in order to create the perfect dish, Chinese recipes are a great meal idea for families, offering a more subtle infusion of tastes than some other cuisines.

Chinese recipes are often quite similar to one another, being based around one of a couple of key ingredients. The main examples of these are rice and noodles, two ingredients which are almost guaranteed to appear in every Chinese dish.

Alongside these common ingredients, Chinese recipes also have a number of common themes or styles of food. One of the most popular is five spice cuisine. A number of Chinese dishes are described as this, with five spice stir fry, noodles, beef, duck and chicken all being common recipes.

For those of you interested in cooking your own great Chinese dishes, here are a couple of basic recipes which could introduce you to this fantastic cuisine:

Five spice chicken stir fry

A popular recipe for families short on time, this is a subtle combination of flavours and spices and is, therefore, perfect for individuals with gentler tastes.
Ingredients:

350g chicken breast

1 red pepper

100g mange tout

100g baby corn

100g broccoli florets

2 tablespoons five spice

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

1 teaspoon cornflower

1 tablespoon soy sauce

Method:

1. Prepare the ingredients by dicing the chicken breast and chopping the vegetables evenly, making sure to use different chopping boards to avoid cross contamination. How you decide to cut the vegetables is up to you, but authentic dishes would use large cuts to create a chunky and rustic dish.

2. Heat a little oil in a large frying pan, or wok, and add the diced chicken. Fry until the chicken has browned. This should take about 5 minutes but make sure you check that the chicken is cooked throughout before proceeding to the next step and cook it for longer if necessary.

3. Add the five spice flavouring (which can be purchased pre-packaged) and ensure it is distributed evenly over the chicken.

4. Add the vegetables and fry together for a further 3 minutes. Stir regularly to mix the ingredients together.

5. Blend the soy sauce and cornflower with a little water (about 75 ml) and add this to the pan. Bring the mixture to the boil and cook for a further 3 minutes.

6. Serve the mixture with noodles, rice or both.

Top Tip: if you are looking for vegetarian recipes then simply omit the chicken or replace with a vegetarian substitute. A number of products are available which recreate meat products, such as breast fillets, from vegetarian substances and can be used with ease in meals such as stir fry.

Chinese salmon

Another common addition to Chinese dishes is that of seafood. The perfect example of this is Chinese or oriental salmon. An easy recipe to make, this can be served with noodles or rice and is the perfect introduction to Chinese cuisine.

Ingredients:

4 salmon fillets (of approximately 175g each)

1 bunch of spring onions

Soy, sesame and ginger sauce

Method:

1. Prepare the ingredients thoroughly. Wash the salmon fillets lightly by holding them under a cold tap for a few seconds and slice the spring onions into small pieces.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large pan and add the salmon fillets and spring onions.

3. Fry these together for about 5 minutes and then turn the salmon fillets over.

4. Add the sauce mixture and simmer gently for a couple of minutes.

5. Stir the mixture lightly and heat until the sauce has warmed through.

6. Serve and garnish with small slices of red pepper or other vegetables.

Top tip: you can make your own sauce mixture if you prefer but there are a number of premade varieties available which could save you time and money.

Remember that adding your own ingredients is a great way to transform any dish, helping to give them your own unique taste. This is true for all types of cuisine, including Greek and Indian recipes, and is something you can do for any of your favourite meals.

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