We have added sliced pineapple to our sweet and sour prawns to make this a special dish to be remembered. If preferred, replace prawns with chicken or pork. Remember to cut the meat into bite size pieces and season before lightly dusting in cornflour.
Fried red chillies in this dish adds a little heat. Leave out the chillies for a milder flavour.
Rice is an important part of a Chinese meal as it provides the ‘bulk’ necessary to a full meal. Ideally, use day old rice (remember to keep it refrigerated). If that is not possible, ensure the rice is cold.
The ‘secret ingredient’ in this dish is teh sauce the rice is fried in. We have used frozen prawns becuase they are easily available, but do use fresh if you prefer. Feel free to replace the prawns with sliced chicken.
A meal on a plate. We have used a combination of prawns and squid for this dish. Feel free to use fish and or scallops as well. If fish is the choice we suggest a firm fish like monkfish.
Black beans are salted and fermented soya beans. It makes a very versatile sauce and here it is combined with beef and peppers and served on flat rice noodles instead of rice. Rice noodles need to be soaked in tepid water to soften them. The noodles need to be soft but firm for frying.
Clean mussels by scrubbing in plenty of cold water, pulling off the “beards” and removing any barnacles. Discard any open mussels, especially if they don’t close when tapped. Provide finger bowls, plenty of paper napkins and an empty bowl for the shells.
This Szechuan dish is popular the world over. It is supposed to be named after the old woman with a pock marked face who created it. Full flavoured and easy to prepare.
Use Black Tiger Prawns for that special meal. You may use sliced pork or chicken, or even a mixture of meats for this dish.
Flat rice noodles make a nice change as it is a noodle that is suitable for people with a gluten intolerance. We like the contrast in colours in this dish. Do remember to wash the leeks well and do not discard all of the green tops.