Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
115g/4oz small pasta shapes
30ml/2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 small bunch spring onions, chopped
350g/12oz/3 cups frozen peas
1.2 litres/2 pints/5 cups chicken stock
225g/8oz raw unsmoked ham or gammon
60ml/4 tbsp double cream
salt and ground black pepper
warm crusty bread, to serve

Pea and Ham Soup

Cook the small pasta shapes in plenty of boiling salted water according to the packet instructions. Drain through a colander, place in the

pan again, cover with cold water and set aside until required.

Heat the vegetable oil in a large heavy saucepan and cook the spring onions gently until soft but not browned. Add the frozen peas and

chicken stock, then simmer gently over a low heat for about 10 minutes.

Process the soup in a blender or food processor then return to the saucepan. Cut the ham or gammon into short fingers and add, with the

pasta, to the sauce­pan. Simmer for 2-3 minutes and season to taste. Stir in the double cream and serve immediately with the warm crusty bread.

Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
1 tbsp light soy sauce
700ml/1/1/4 pints/3 cups Basic Stock
2 tsp Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1/2 tsp sesame oil
salt and ground white pepper, to taste
225g/8oz lamb steak
1 piece cucumber, 7.5cm/3in long

Lamb and Cucumber Soup

Trim off any excess fat from the lamb and discard. Thinly slice the lamb into small pieces. Marinate with the soy sauce, wine or sherry and

sesame oil for 25-30 minutes. Discard the marinade.

Halve the cucumber piece lengthways (do not peel), then cut into thin slices diagonally.

In a wok or saucepan, bring the stock to a rolling boil, add the lamb and stir to separate. Return to the boil, then add the cucumber slices,

vinegar and seasonings. Bring to the boil once more, and serve at once.

Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp plain (all-purpose) flour
1 egg, lightly beaten
vegetable oil, for deep-frying
350g/12oz lean pork
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground Sichuan peppercorns
1 tbsp Chinese rice wine or dry sherry

Sauce
2-3 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp light brown sugar
1 small green (bell) pepper, cut into small cubes
1 fresh red chilli, seeded and thinly shredded
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp tomato puree (paste)
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
about 100ml/4fl oz/1/2 cup Basic Stock or water
115g/4oz bamboo shoots
1 spring onion (scallion), cut into short sections

Sweet and Sour Pork

Cut the pork into small bite-sized cubes. Marinate with the salt, pepper and wine or sherry for 15—20 minutes.

Cut the bamboo shoots into small cubes the same size as the pork.

Dust the pork with flour, dip in the beaten egg, and coat with more flour. Deep-fry in moderately hot oil for 3—4 mi­nutes, stirring to separate the pieces. Remove.

Reheat the oil to hot, add the pork and bamboo shoots and fry for about 1 minute or until golden. Remove and drain.

Heat the oil and add the garlic, spring onion (scallion), green (bell) pepper and red chilli. Stir-fry for 30—40 seconds, then add the

seasoning with the stock. Bring to the boil, then add the pork and bamboo shoots.

Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
1 tsp Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
4 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tsp cornflour (cornstarch) paste
1 tsp salt
115g/4oz mange-tout (snow peas)
Basic Stock or water, if necessary
225g/8oz pork fillet
115g/4oz white mushrooms
few drops sesame oil
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 medium or 2 small carrots
1 tsp light brown sugar
1 spring onion (scallion)

Stir-fried Pork with Vegetables(1)

Cut the pork into thin slices each about the size of an oblong postage stamp. Marinate with about 1 tsp of the soy sauce, sugar, wine or

sherry and cornflour (cornstarch) paste.

Top and tail the mange-tout (snow peas); thinly slice the mushrooms; cut the carrots into pieces roughly the same size as the pork, and

cut the spring onion (scallion) into short sections.

Heat the oil in a preheated wok and stir-fry the pork for about 1 minute or until its colour changes. Remove with a perforated spoon and keep warm.

Stir-fry the vegetables for about 2 min­utes, add the salt and the partly-cooked pork, and a little stock or water only if necessary. Continue

stirring for another min­ute or so, then add the remaining soy sauce and blend well. Sprinkle with the sesame oil and serve.

Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
1 spring onion (scallion)
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp salt
225g/8oz shoulder or knuckle of pork
1/2 tsp light brown sugar
1 small green (bell) pepper, cored and seeded
1 tbsp yellow bean sauce
115g/4oz sliced bamboo shoots, rinsed and drained
1 tsp chilli bean sauce
1 tbsp Chinese rice wine or dry sherry

Twice-cooked Pork-Sichuan Style

Immerse the whole piece of pork into a pot of boiling water, return to the boil and skim the surface. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered,

for 25-30 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave the pork in the water, covered, to cool, for at least 3-4 hours before removing.

Trim off and remove any excess fat from the pork and cut the meat into thin slices, each about the size of a large postage stamp. Cut the

green (bell) peppers into pieces the size of the bamboo shoots and cut the spring onion(scallion) into short sections.

Heat the oil in a preheated wok, add the green (bell) pepper, the spring onion(scallion) and bamboo shoots, and stir-fry for about 1 minute.

Add the pork followed by the salt, sugar, yellow bean sauce, chilli bean sauce and winbe or sherry. Continue stirring for a further 1-2 minutes.Serve.

Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
225-285g/8-10oz minced (ground) pork
4-6 water chestnuts, finely chopped
2 spring onions (scallions), finely chopped
1/2 tsp finely-chopped fresh ginger
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
3-4 green (bell) peppers, cored and seeded
1 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch) vegetable oil, for deep-frying

Sauce
2 tsp light soy sauce
1 tsp light brown sugar
1-2 fresh hot chillies, finely chopped (optional)
about 5 tbsp Basic Stock or water

Stuffed Green (Bell) Peppers

In a bowl, mix the minced (ground) pork with the water chestnuts, spring onions (scallions), ginger, soy sauce and wine or sherry.

Halve or quarter the green (bell) peppers. Stuff the sections with the pork mixture and sprinkle with a little cornflour (corn-starch).

Heat the oil in a preheated wok and deep-fry the stuffed (bell) peppers, with the meat-side down, for 2—3 minutes, then remove and drain.

Pour off the excess oil, then return the stuffed green (bell) peppers to the wok with the meat-side up. Add the sauce ingre­dients, shaking

the wok gently to make sure they do not stick to the bottom, and braise for 2—3 minutes. Carefully lift the stuffed peppers onto a serving dish,

meat-side up, and pour the sauce over them. Serve.

Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
225g/8oz pork fillet, thinly sliced
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp light brown sugar
1 tsp Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
2 tsp cornflour (cornstarch) paste
115g/4oz firm tomatoes, peeled
1 spring onion (scallion)
4 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp salt (optional)
Basic Stock or water, if necessary

Stir-fried Pork with Vegetables(2)

In a bowl, marinate the pork with about 1 tsp of the soy sauce, the sugar, wine and cornflour (cornstarch) paste. Cut the tomatoes and courgettes (zucchini) into wedges and the spring onion (scallion) into sections.

Heat the oil in a preheated wok and stir-fry the pork for about 1 minute or until the colour changes. Remove with a perforated spoon and keep warm.

Stir-fry the vegetables for about 2 min­utes, add the salt if using, the pork and a little stock or water. Stir for another minute or so, then add the remaining soy sauce and blend well. Serve.

Serves 4-6
INGREDIENTS
450g/1 lb minced (ground) pork
2 tsp finely-chopped spring onions (scallions)
1 tsp finely-chopped fresh ginger
50g/2oz white mushrooms, finely chopped
50g/2oz peeled prawns (shrimp) or crabmeat, finely chopped
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp light brown sugar
1 tbsp Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
1 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)
675g/1/1/2lb Chinese leaves 3-4 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp salt
about 300ml/1/2 pint/1/1/4 cups Basic Stock or water

Lion's Head Casserole

Mix the pork with the spring onions (scallions), ginger, mushrooms, prawns (shrimp), soy sauce, sugar, wine and cornflour (cornstarch). Shape into 4—6 meatballs.

Cut the Chinese leaves into large pieces, all roughly the same size.

Heat the oil and stir-fry the Chinese leave with the salt for 2—3 minutes. Add th< meatballs and the stock, bring to the boil cover and simmer gently for 30-45 minutes.

Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
350-400g/12-14 oz leg of lamb fillet
1 tsp light brown sugar
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
2 tsp cornflour (cornstarch) paste
15g/1/2oz dried black fungus (wood-ears)
6-8 spring onions (scallions)
about 300m1/1/2 pint/1/1/4 cups vegetable oil
few small pieces fresh ginger
2 tbsp yellow bean sauce
few drops sesame oil

Stir-fried Lamb with Spring Onions (Scallions)

Slice the lamb thinly. Marinate with the sugar, soy sauce, wine and cornflour
(cornstarch) paste for 30—45 minutes. Soak the fungus for 25—30 minutes, then cut into small pieces with the spring onions (scallions).

Heat the oil in a preheated wok until hot and stir-fry the meat for about 1 minute, or until the colour changes. Remove with a perforated spoon and drain.

Keep about 1 tbsp of oil in the wok, then add the spring onions (scallions), ginger, fungus and yellow bean sauce. Blend well, then add the

meat and stir for about 1 minute. Sprinkle with the sesame oil.

Serves
INGREDIENTS
350-400g/12-l4oz leg of lamb fillet
1 tbsp yellow bean sauce
vegetable oil, for deep-frying
1/2 tsp finely-chopped fresh ginger
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp light brown sugar
3-4 tbsp Basic Stock or water
1 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch) paste
1/2 tsp sesame oil

Sweet and Sour Lamb

Cut the lamb into thin slices each about the size of an oblong postage stamp. In a bowl, marinate the lamb with the yellow bean
sauce for 35—40 minutes.

In a wok, deep-fry the lamb in the hot oil for about 30-^40 seconds or until the colour changes. Remove with a perforated spoon and drain.

Pour off the excess oil, leaving about 9 tbsp in the wok. Add the ginger and the remaining ingredients and stir until smooth. Add the lamb, blend well and serve.