Special chow mein

Special chow mein

serves 4–6

ingredients

50ml/2fl oz vegetable oil 2 garlic cloves, sliced

1 teaspoon chopped fresh root ginger

2 fresh red chillies, seeded and chopped

1 skinless chicken breast fillet, thinly sliced

16 raw tiger prawns, peeled and deveined, with tails left intact

450g/1lb egg noodles 100g/4oz green beans 225g/8oz beansprouts 50g/2oz garlic chives

2 tablespoons light soy sauce

1 tablespoon oyster sauce

1 tablespoon sesame oil

salt and freshly ground black pepper

•Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a wok or large frying pan, and stir-fry the garlic, ginger and chillies. Add the chicken, prawns and beans. Stir-fryfor 4–5 minutes over a high heat until the chicken and prawns are both cooked. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and set aside.

•Cook the egg noodles in a saucepan of slightly salted boiling water for2–3 minutes until tender.

•Heat the rest of the oil in the same wok used for the chicken and prawn mixture. Add the beansprouts and garlic chives. Stir-fry for 1–2minutes. Add the noodles and toss to mix. Next, add the soy sauce and oyster sauce, and season with salt and pepper.

•Return the prawn mixture to the wok. Reheat and mix well with the noodles. Stir in the sesame oil, and serve immediately.

Smoked salmon pasta

  serves 4

ingredients • Heat the oil in a pan, and sweat

1 tablespoon olive oil the garlic briefly over a low heat.

1 garlic clove, crushed Add the cream, chives and mustard

375ml/13fl oz double cream powder. Season with salt and

3 tablespoons chopped fresh pepper, and bring to the boil.

chives Reduce the heat and stir until the

1⁄4 teaspoon mustard powder sauce thickens.

200g/7oz smoked salmon, cut • Add the salmon and lemon juice,

into strips and stir until heated through. Keep

2 teaspoons lemon juice the sauce warm.

450g/1lb fettuccine • Meanwhile, cook the fettuccine in

3 tablespoons chopped sun-dried a large pan of lightly salted boiling

tomatoes water until al dente. Drain well and

2 tablespoons freshly grated return to the same pan.

Parmesan cheese • Toss the sauce through the pasta,

salt and freshly ground and serve immediately topped with

black pepper the tomatoes and Parmesan.

Singapore fried noodles

  serves 4

ingredients • Soak the noodles in water for

175g/6oz rice noodles about 10 minutes, drain well, then

50ml/2fl oz vegetable oil pat dry with kitchen paper.

1⁄2 teaspoon salt • Heat the wok, then add half the

75g/3oz peeled and deveined oil. When the oil is hot, add the

cooked prawns noodles and half the salt. Stir-fry

175g/6oz cooked pork, cut into for 2 minutes. Transfer to a serving

thin strips dish and keep warm.

1 green pepper, seeded and cut • Heat the remaining oil, and add

into thin strips the prawns, pork, pepper, sugar,

1⁄2 teaspoon granulated sugar curry powder and remaining salt.

2 teaspoons curry powder Stir-fry for 1 minute. Return the

75g/3oz Thai fish cakes noodles to the wok with the fish

2 teaspoons light soy sauce cakes. Stir-fry for 2 minutes. Stir in

  the soy sauce. Serve immediately.

Lemon & garlic pasta

  serves 4

ingredients • In a frying pan, heat the oil and

1 teaspoon olive oil sauté the garlic over a medium

2 garlic cloves, minced heat until the garlic just begins to

125ml/4fl oz dry white wine colour. Remove the frying pan from

50ml/2fl oz freshly squeezed the heat, and pour in the wine.

lemon juice • Return the pan to the heat. Cook

150g/5oz tomatoes, chopped for another 2 minutes until the wine

100g/4oz spinach angel has been reduced by half. Stir in

hair pasta the lemon juice and tomatoes, and

100g/4oz semolina angel remove the pan from the heat.

hair pasta • Meanwhile, put both pastas in a

25g/1oz chopped fresh basil large saucepan of lightly salted

2 tablespoons freshly grated boiling water, and cook until al

Parmesan cheese dente. Drain and put the pasta into

salt and freshly ground a warmed serving bowl. Add the

black pepper basil, Parmesan and tomato

  mixture. Season with salt and

  pepper. Toss and serve at once.

Ginger & coriander noodles

serves 4–6

ingredients  

handful of fresh coriander sprigs 7 spring onions, shredded

225g/8oz dried egg noodles 2 tablespoons light soy sauce

50ml/2fl oz groundnut oil salt and freshly ground

5cm/2in piece of fresh root ginger, black pepper

finely shredded  

•Strip the leaves from the coriander sprigs. Pile them on a chopping board and chop roughly using a cleaver or a large sharp knife.

•Cook the noodles according to the packet instructions. Rinse under cold water and drain well. Toss them in 1 tablespoon of the oil.

•Heat a wok until hot, add the remaining oil and swirl it around the wok. Add the ginger and stir-fry for a few seconds, then add the noodles and spring onions. Stir-fry for 3–4 minutes until hot.

•Sprinkle in the soy sauce, and season with salt and pepper. Toss well, then serve immediately.

Red fried rice

  serves 2

ingredients  

100g/4oz basmati rice 225g/8oz cherry tomatoes, halved

2 tablespoons groundnut oil 2 eggs, beaten

1 small red onion, chopped salt and freshly ground

1 red pepper, chopped black pepper

•Put the rice in a colander, and rinse under cold running water. Drain well. Bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to the boil, add the rice and cook for 10–12 minutes until tender.

•Meanwhile, heat the oil in a wok until very hot. Add the onion and red pepper, and stir-fry for 2–3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, and stir-fry for a further 2 minutes. Pour in the eggs. Cook for 30 seconds without stirring, then stir to break up the egg as it sets.

•Drain the cooked rice thoroughly, add to the wok and toss it over the heat with the vegetable and egg mixture for 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and serve hot.

Paella

serves 4

ingredients

12 black mussels 125ml/4fl oz white wine

11⁄2 small red onions, chopped 125ml/4fl oz olive oil

1 small skinless chicken breast fillet, cut into bite-size pieces

12 raw prawns, peeled and deveined

100g/4oz cleaned squid rings 100g/4oz skinless cod fillet, cut

into bite-size cubes

1 rasher smoked back bacon, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, crushed

1 red pepper, seeded and finely chopped

1 tomato, peeled and chopped 75g/3oz chorizo, thinly sliced pinch of cayenne pepper 200g/7oz long-grain rice

1⁄4 teaspoon saffron threads 500ml/18fl oz chicken stock 75g/3oz fresh peas

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

salt and ground black pepper

•Scrub the mussels with a stiff brush and pull out the hairy beards. Discard any broken mussels or open ones that do not close when tapped on the work surface.

•Heat the wine and onion in a large pan. Add the mussels, cover and gently shake the pan for 4–5 minutes over a high heat. After 3 minutes, begin removing any opened mussels and set aside. At the end of

5 minutes, discard any unopened mussels. Reserve the cooking liquid.

•Heat half the oil in a large frying pan. Pat the chicken dry with kitchen paper, then cook for 5 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add the prawns, squid and cod to the pan, and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the pan and set aside.

•Heat the remaining oil in the same pan. Add the bacon, garlic and red pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, then add the tomato, chorizo and cayenne. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the reserved cooking liquid, then add the rice and mix well.

•In a heavy saucepan, blend the saffron with the stock and mix well. Bring slowly to the boil. Reduce the heat to low. Simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes, without stirring.

•Put the peas, chicken, prawns, squid and cod on top of the rice. Using a wooden spoon, push pieces into the rice, cover and cook over a low heat for 10–15minutes until the rice is tender and seafood cooked. Add the mussels for the last 2 minutes to heat. Serve sprinkled with parsley.