Chinese recipes: Steamed king crab, warm aubergine salad, baked sea bass
CELEBRATE Chinese New Year in style with this mouthwatering selection of recipes created exclusively for S Magazine by top London restaurant Chai Wu
Sweet and sour chicken served in dragon fruit
Asian
Main course
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- ●1 large fresh egg
- ●½ tsp salt
- ●1 level tsp white pepper
- ●½ tsp sesame oil
- ●180g (6½oz) chicken breast, diced into 1cm (½in) pieces
- ●200g (7oz) cornflour, sifted
For the sweet and sour sauce:
- ●200g (7oz) brown sugar
- ●2 tbsps tomato ketchup
- ●200ml (7fl oz) brown malt vinegar
- ●1 tbsp Hp Fruity brown sauce
- ●1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- ● Juice of ½ fresh lemon
- ●1 tbsp cornflour, for thickening
- ●½ white onion, diced into 1cm (½in) pieces
- ●30g (1oz) mixed peppers, diced into 1cm (½in) pieces
- ●1 dragon fruit, halved – dragon fruit can be bought at most Asian stores or from finefoodspecialist.co.uk
Combine the egg, salt, white pepper and sesame oil. Put the diced chicken into the mixture and leave in the fridge for 5 minutes.
Heat a deep-fat fryer to 170°C/ 325°F.
Remove the chicken from the fridge and coat in the cornflour.
Cook the chicken for about 5 minutes until it is golden and crispy.
To make the sauce, put the brown sugar, ketchup, vinegar, brown sauce, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice and cornflour in a pan then bring to the boil. Let it simmer for 10 minutes until thickened.
Put 150ml (¼ pint) of the sweet and sour sauce in a separate pan then stir in the fried chicken breast, white onion and mixed peppers.
Scoop out the flesh of the dragon fruit using a fruit baller. Fill the empty shells with the chicken mixture and garnish with the fruit balls to serve.
Steamed king crab legs with baby asparagus
Asian
Main course
Ingredients
Preparation:
- ●2 whole Alaskan king crab legs
- ●2 stems of baby asparagus
- ●10g (½oz) glass noodles, soaked in warm water until soft
For the dipping sauce:
- ● Juice of 1 lime
- ●3 tbsps light soy sauce
- ●1 garlic clove, crushed
- ●1 Thai chilli, finely chopped
Use scissors to cut a channel in the crab shells then remove the meat. Squeeze out any excess water from the flesh.
Put the meat back into the shells and place an asparagus spear on top of each.
Wrap the soaked glass noodles around the middle of each shell.
Put the wrapped crab legs into a steamer and cook for 5 minutes.
To make the dipping sauce, squeeze the lime juice into the soy sauce. Add the crushed garlic and
Thai chilli then mix together.
Serve immediately with the freshly cooked crab legs.
Baked sea bass with champagne and honey
Asian
Main course
Ingredients
Preparation:
- ●10g (½oz) butter
- ●1 shallot, finely chopped
- ●1 tsp finely chopped fresh ginger
- ●½ tsp ground black pepper
- ●2 tsps soy sauce
- ●2 tsps water
- ●A large tbsp manuka honey
- ● A generous squeeze of lime juice
- ●100ml (3½fl oz) champagne
- ●2 medium sea bass fillets
- ●1 spring onion, finely shredded, to serve
Preheat the oven to 170°C/150°C fan/325°F/gas mark 3.
Melt the butter in a small pan.
Fry the chopped shallot until golden brown then add the ginger and black pepper.
Add the soy sauce, water and honey then allow to simmer gently for 5 minutes.
Remove the honey mixture from the heat, add the lime juice and champagne then combine.
Brush the sea bass fillets with the honey-and-shallot glaze (leave a little glaze for serving) then bake for 15 minutes.
Once cooked, brush the fish with the remaining glaze, garnish with the spring onion and serve with rice.
Warm aubergine salad
Asian
Main course
Ingredients
Preparation:
- ● Salt, for the aubergines
- ●2 aubergines, cut into bite-size pieces
- ●2 tbsps rapeseed oil
- ●1 red chilli, sliced
- ● A knob of ginger, sliced into fine matchsticks
- ●1 tbsp minced garlic
- ●3 tbsps caster sugar
- ●1 spring onion, sliced into fine matchsticks
- ●2 tbsps dark soy sauce
- ● A handful of coriander leaves
For the base sauce:
- ●50ml (1¾fl oz) light soy sauce
- ●50ml (1¾fl oz) white vinegar
- ●50ml (1¾fl oz) Shaoxing rice wine
Preparation time: 2 hours and 15 minutes, including salting the aubergine
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Salt the aubergine for 2 hours then wash thoroughly. Pat dry with a paper towel to remove any excess water.
Deep-fry the aubergine until it’s golden brown, drain well and place on a paper towel to soak up excess oil.
Heat a wok, add the oil then quickly fry the chilli, ginger and garlic.
Make the base sauce by combining the light soy sauce, white vinegar and Shaoxing wine.
Add the base sauce and sugar to the wok then reduce for 1 minute until it has a honey-like consistency.
Gently mix the aubergine and spring onion into the sauce.
Cook until the aubergine is soft then add the soy sauce. The dish should taste sweet, sharp and garlicky.
Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with the coriander leaves.
Chicken and sweetcorn soup
Asian
Soup
Ingredients
Preparation:
- ●60g (2½oz) fresh organic sweetcorn
- ●500ml (17½fl oz) chicken stock
- ●60g (2½oz) chicken breast, boiled and chopped
- ● A pinch of salt, to taste
- ● A pinch of sugar, to taste
- ● A pinch of white pepper, to taste
- ●½ tsp sesame oil
- ●1 tbsp cornflour, sifted
- ●2 tbsps cold water
- ●1 large egg
Put the sweetcorn into a blender then process to a creamy texture.
Pour the chicken stock into a pan, add the blended sweetcorn and bring to a boil.
Add the boiled and chopped chicken breast to the pan.
Add the salt, sugar, white pepper and sesame oil.
In a measuring jug, mix the cornflour with the cold water then add to the soup and whisk well.
You will need to keep stirring to prevent any lumps from forming.
Whisk the egg, pour it slowly into the soup and gently bring it back to the boil before serving.
Chai Wu restaurant has opened on the fifth floor of the Harrods store in London’s Knightsbridge. For more information, call 020 3819 8888 or visit chaiwu.co.uk.
Styling by Victoria Gray
Photographs by Winfried Heinze