Goat Milk

Nothing beats homemade prawn toast: crispy, nutty and full of flavour. This recipe is a real crowd-pleaser – ideal to kick off a Lunar New Year feast.

This crunchy sesame prawn toast, packed full with prawn, chestnuts and minced pork these crispy bites will leave you wanting more.

This recipe takes 10 mins Preparation time, 20 mins Cooking time. Serves Makes 30 pieces

Ingredients:

For the prawn paste

• 450g raw prawns, peeled
• ½ x 225g tin water chestnuts, finely chopped
• 100g minced pork
• 1 egg white
• ½ bunch spring onions, white parts, finely chopped
• 1tbsp grated root ginger
• 2tsp light soy sauce
• 2 tsp sugar
• 2 tsp sesame oil

For the toast

• 10 thin slices slightly stale white bread
• 3 tbsp white sesame seeds
• 450ml groundnut or vegetable oil
• Spicy hoisin chicken baked dumplings recipe

Directions:

• Roughly chop the prawns and then mince to a paste. Put in a large bowl and combine with the pork and remaining paste ingredients.
• To prepare the toast, remove the crusts from the bread and cut each slice into 3 rectangles. spread with a thick layer of the prawn mixture and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
• Heat the oil in a deep-fat fryer or wok. Using a slotted spoon, carefully lower 2-3 toasts at a time, paste-side down, into the hot oil. Deep-fry for 2-3 mins, then carefully turn and fry for a further 2 mins, or until golden and cooked through. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Repeat with the remaining toasts and serve with soy sauce to dip.

Kung Hei Fat Choy! Cooking authentic food for the new year celebrations is easy with this simple Lunar New Year recipe.

‘As Chinese New Year unfolds, it’s customary to serve dumplings – symbols of wealth and prosperity. Their golden crescent shape resembles ancient Chinese gold ingots, promising fortune for the year ahead.’

This recipe takes 50 mins Preparation, Cooking plus cooling. Serves Makes 24

Ingredients:

• 2 x 320g packs readyrolled puff pastry
• 1 medium egg
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds

For the filling

• ½ tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 spring onions, finely chopped
• 350g chicken thigh fillets, finely diced
• 2 tsp crushed chillies
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 2 tsp reduced-salt soy sauce
• 1 tbsp granulated sugar
• 3 tbsp hoisin sauce, plus extra to serve (optional)
• 1 tbsp cornflour

Directions:

• For the filling, heat the oil in a wok over a medium heat and fry the onion for 6-8 mins. Add the garlic and spring onions and fry for 1-2 mins until fragrant. Add the chicken; fry for 3-4 mins until cooked through.
• Stir in the rest of the filling ingredients, cook for 1 more min, then transfer to a bowl or tray to cool for 5 mins. Preheat the oven to gas 7, 220°C, fan 200°
• Unroll the pastry on its paper, then use an 8cm round cutter to cut out discs – you should get 12 per pastry sheet. Spoon 1 heaped tsp filling into the centre of each disc then pull up the sides, pinching the pastry to seal. Repeat with the remaining pastry.
• Whisk the egg with 1 tbsp water in a small bowl. Arrange the dumplings on a lined baking sheet, brush with the eggwash, then sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for 15 mins or until puff ed and golden. Set aside for 5-10 mins to cool slightly. Serve with extra hoisin sauce for dipping, if you like.

*Tip: Any leftover filling can be kept, covered, in the fridge for 1 week: add to fried rice or chow mein.

Celebrate lunar new year around the world with the full gamut of special treats and auspicious foods in a banquet for friends and family.

Crisp, hot spring rolls dipped in sweet and spicy sauce – there’s nothing like it for Chinese New Year.

Spring Rolls

Who doesn’t love a hot, fried spring roll dipped in sweet spicy sauce? Making them yourself ensures a maximum freshness of flavor.

This recipe requires less than 30 mins Preparation time, less than 10 mins Cooking time, Serves Makes 8

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp groundnut oil, plus extra for deep-frying
• 200g/7oz skinless chicken breast fillets, chopped into small pea-sized pieces
• 4 dried Chinese mushrooms, soaked in hot water for 20 minutes, drained and finely chopped
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp five-spice powder
• 1 tsp grated fresh root ginger
• 75g/3oz beansprouts
• 2 large spring onions, finely sliced lengthways
• 1 small carrot, julienned
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• ½ tbsp light soy sauce
• sea salt and ground white pepper
• 16 ready-made large spring roll wrappers, thawed if frozen (available from Asian supermarkets)
• 1 egg yolk, beaten

Directions:

• Heat a wok until smoking and add the groundnut oil, then add the chicken and mushrooms and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes. Season with soy sauce and five-spice powder, then remove from the wok and set aside to cool for ten minutes. Wipe the wok clean with kitchen paper.
• Place the grated ginger, beansprouts, spring onions and carrot into a bowl, then add the chicken and mushrooms and season with the oyster sauce, soy sauce, sea salt and ground white pepper. Stir well to combine.
• Lay two spring roll wrappers one on top of the other (the extra thickness will prevent the skin from breaking) and position so that the corners are pointing upwards, downwards and to the sides.
• Spoon two tablespoons of the filling into the centre of the wrapper. Brush each corner of the wrapper with the cornflour paste, then bring the two opposite corners on the sides together and, keeping your finger on those edges, bring the bottom corner towards the middle and then roll the pastry up tightly towards the top corner. Tuck the top edge in and seal it with a little of the beaten egg yolk. Repeat with the remaining spring roll wrappers and filling.
• Heat the wok over a high heat and fill the wok to a quarter of its depth with groundnut oil. Heat until a cube of bread dropped in sizzles and turns golden-brown in 15 seconds. (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.) Carefully lower the spring rolls in small batches into the oil and deep-fry for 2-3 minutes, or until golden-brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.
• Transfer the spring rolls onto a plate and serve immediately.