Ching’s Fast Food: 110 Quick and Healthy Chinese Favourites

‘Stinky’-style aromatic dofu with kimchi

Stinky dofu is made by fermenting dofu in a pungent brine, which gives it a distinctive smell and flavour. Traditionally, the brine consists of fermented milk, dried prawns, mustard greens, bamboo shoots and Chinese herbs. It does smell strong, but it is extremely flavoursome. This dish is one of my favourite street-food snacks and I often have a craving for it. The dofu is deep-fried and served with sour cabbage and chilli sauce. This is my own version. I like to marinate dofu that has been already fried (and which you can buy in a Chinese supermarket) in garlic, mirin and five-spice powder, then deep-fry it and serve with some Korean-style kimchi and a good hot chilli sauce.

PREP TIME: 10 minutes, plus 1 hour for marinating COOK IN: 3 minutes

SERVES: 2–4 to share

8 x 6cm (2½in) square pieces of deep-fried dofu

4 tbsps of potato flour or cornflour

600ml (1 pint) groundnut oil

FOR THE MARINADE

2 cloves of garlic, crushed and finely sliced

4 tbsps of mirin

1 tbsp of clear rice vinegar or cider vinegar

1 tsp of Chinese five-spice powder

TO GARNISH (OPTIONAL)

Pinch of medium chilli powder

Few sprigs of coriander

TO SERVE (IN SEPARATE DISHES)

3 tbsps of kimchi

2 tbsps of chilli bean sauce

2 tbsps of chilli sauce mixed with 2 tbsps of oyster sauce

2 tbsps of hot chilli sauce

1. Mix together all the ingredients for the marinade in a bowl and add the dofu pieces, then cover the bowl with cling film and leave to marinate for 1 hour. Lift the dofu pieces out of the marinade, giving them a good squeeze to remove any excess liquid, then dust with the potato flour or cornflour.

2. Place a wok over a high heat and add the groundnut oil. Heat the oil to 180°C (350°F) or until a piece of bread dropped in turns golden brown in 15 seconds and floats to the surface. Fry the dofu for 2–3 minutes or until golden and crisp on the outside, then drain on kitchen paper and cut into triangular wedges (each cut in half, diagonally, to give 16 triangles).

3. Transfer to a serving plate and dust with the chilli powder and sprinkle with the coriander if you like. Serve with the assortment of small dishes of kimchi, chilli bean sauce, chilli oyster sauce and hot chilli sauce.

Sichuan salt and pepper squid

Squid contains lots of nutrients, including zinc, manganese, copper, selenium and vitamin B12. When cooked well, it has a delicious soft, chewy texture. I was once fed squid sperm sacs stir-fried with egg and spring onions in a seafood restaurant in Hong Kong and it certainly was an acquired taste! Squid itself is not so challenging, however, and salt and pepper squid is one the most popular starters to be served in Chinese restaurants as well as appearing on some takeaway menus. This dish is easy to make and does not require much effort. I love the numbing heat from the Sichuan peppercorns: just dry-toast them in a pan and grind them well to ensure the maximum flavour.

PREP TIME: 15 minutes

COOK IN: 5 minutes

SERVES: 2–4 to share

1 egg, beaten

100g (3½oz) potato flour or cornflour

600ml (1 pint) groundnut oil

200g (7oz) squid, cleaned and sliced into rings

Salt

2 pinches of dried chilli flakes

1 tbsp of Sichuan peppercorns, toasted and ground (see the tip below)

Sprigs of coriander, to garnish

TO SERVE

Lemon wedges

Fruity Chilli Sauce (see Appetisers)

1. Mix the beaten egg with the potato flour or cornflour and 2 tbsps of water to make a batter.

2. Heat a large wok over a high heat and add the groundnut oil. Heat the oil to 180°C (350°F) or until a cube of bread dropped in turns golden brown in 15 seconds and floats to the surface.

3. Dip the squid rings into the batter and carefully drop into the hot oil. Deep-fry for 4–5 minutes or until golden, then lift out using a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Season with a little salt, the dried chilli flakes and ground toasted Sichuan peppercorns, then serve with lemon wedges and the Fruity Chilli Sauce and garnish with coriander sprigs.

CHING’S TIP

To toast the Sichuan peppercorns, heat a small wok or saucepan over a medium heat, then add the peppercorns and dry-toast for 1 minute or until fragrant. Transfer to a spice grinder or pestle and mortar and grind to a powder. Alternatively, place in a plastic bag and smash with a rolling pin.

Five-spice salted prawns with hot coriander sauce

This is my take on salt and pepper prawns: prawns coated in a starchy batter and deep-fried, then tossed in a spicy salt and served with a grapefruit and coriander dipping sauce. It also makes a sophisticated appetiser for serving with cocktails.

PREP TIME: 10 minutes

COOK IN: 5 minutes

SERVES: 2–4 to share

1 egg, beaten