A pair of great Oriental dishes

It’s Chinese New Year – so what better time to get out the wok and spice things up? asks Clare Latimer

AS I was driving along Regent Street crossing over Oxford Street to a wine-tasting in Burlington Gardens, I noticed that there were Chinese lantern decorations hanging right across the road.
I wondered whether the Christmas decorations were still up and then I remembered that Chinese New Year is with us. So this week I have decided to give you two fabulous Oriental recipes.
The first is quite easy to make and tastes very scrummy – as do most deep-fried foods – and the second is much more healthy and very quick to make. All of the ingredients should be available in most large supermarkets, and if you do not have a wok then a heavy-based frying pan will do.

Home-made Spring Rolls
These are so much better than the bought ones and you could vary the filling to suit your taste.

Serves 4-6
Ingredients for the Filling
125g of raw prawns, shelled, de-veined and minced or very finely chopped.
125g of minced fatty pork.
One tablespoon of groundnut oil.
Two garlic cloves, peeled and crushed.
One tablespoon of fresh root ginger, peeled and grated.
One tablespoon of light soy sauce.
One tablespoon of dry sherry.
Three tablespoons of spring onions, finely chopped.
Salt and freshly ground black pepper.
25g of dried Chinese black mushrooms, soaked, stems removed and finely shredded.
225g of Chinese leaves, finely shredded.

For the Marinade
One teaspoon of light soy sauce.
One teaspoon of dry sherry.
One teaspoon of
sesame oil.
Salt and freshly ground black pepper.
One packet of spring roll skins.
One egg, beaten.
Groundnut oil for frying.
Some sweet and sour sauce.

Method
For the filling, combine the prawns and pork with all the marinade ingredients in a small bowl.
Heat a wok over a high heat. Add one tablespoon of groundnut oil and, when the pan is very hot, add the garlic and ginger and stir-fry for 20 seconds.
Add all the rest of the filling ingredients, including the prawn and meat mixture, and stir-fry for four minutes. Place the mixture in a colander to drain and allow it to cool thoroughly.
Place three tablespoons of the filling near the end of each spring roll skin, then fold in the sides and roll up tightly.
Seal the open end by brushing a small amount of the beaten egg along the edge, then pressing together gently. You should have a roll about four-inches long.
Wipe out the wok and reheat it over a high heat, then add the oil for deep-frying – about four inches. When the oil is hot and slightly smoking, gently drop in as many spring rolls as will fit easily in one layer. Fry until golden brown and cooked through, about four minutes. Adjust the heat as necessary. Remove with a slotted spoon, drain on kitchen paper. Cook the remaining spring rolls in the same way. Serve them at once, hot and crispy, with the sweet and sour sauce for dipping.

Vegetarian Pad Thai
Ingredients
225g of flat dried rice noodles.
100g of onions.
Four spring onions.
Three fresh red chillies.
Two tablespoons of groundnut oil.
Three garlic cloves, peeled and crushed.
Three tablespoons of fish sauce.
One tablespoon of dry sherry.
One tablespoon of lime juice.
One tablespoon of light soy sauce.
Salt and freshly ground black pepper.
One tablespoon of sugar.
Two tablespoons of oyster sauce.
225g of fresh bean sprouts.
A handful of fresh coriander, chopped.
Three tablespoons of coarsely chopped, roasted peanuts for a garnish.

Method
Soak the rice noodles in a bowl of hot water for 25 minutes.
While the noodles are soaking, prepare the vegetables.
Peel and thinly slice the onion.
Slice the spring onions at a slight angle into one-inch lengths. De-seed and finely chop the chillies.
When the noodles have soaked for 25 minutes, drain well. Heat a wok or frying pan over high heat. When it is hot, add the oil. When it is very hot and slightly smoking, add the onion, spring onions, chillies and garlic, and stir-fry for one minute.
Add the rice noodles, fish sauce, sherry, lime juice, soy sauce, pepper, sugar and oyster sauce, and continue to stir-fry for two minutes, mixing well.
Add the bean sprouts and continue to stir-fry for three minutes.
Finally, add the coriander and stir-fry briskly for one minute. Turn out onto a warm platter, sprinkle with the peanuts and serve at once.

Clare’s Kitchen
41 Chalcot Road
Primrose Hill, NW1
Tel: 020 7586 8433
www.clareskitchen.co.uk