This started out as a fun experiment for a sauce which neither of us have made from scratch before. But as is often the case when we have a day (Sunday on this occasion) with nothing else planned, we kind of elaborated on the theme!

The Various recipes below might take a bit of reading, but the outcome from all the elements was really good. Pick and choose the components you fancy…..

Szechuan Sauce

Szechuan Sauce Ingredients:-

1 Tbsp Cornflour & a little cold Water
2 Tbsp of Soy Sauce
1 Tsp of Oyster Sauce
1 Thumb of Ginger, minced
4 Cloves of Garlic, minced
1 Tsp of Black Peppercorns (Szechuan if you can get them)
1 Tsp of Coriander Seeds
1 Tbsp of White Wine Vinegar
1 Tbsp of Cider Vinegar
The Juice of 1 Lime
1 Tsp of Chinese Five Spice
1 Tsp of Cayenne Pepper
2 Tbsp of Brown Sugar
8 to 10 Dried Chillies
300Ml of Chicken Stock
Salt to season
Oil

Method:-

(1) Crush the Peppercorns and Coriander Seeds.
(2) Add Oil and fry in a pan along with the Chillies until aromatic.
(3) Stir in the Garlic and Ginger.
(4) Add the White Wine Vinegar, Cider Vinegar, Soy Sauce, Oyster Sauce & Stock and allow to simmer.
(5) Add the Brown Sugar, Five Spice, and Cayenne Pepper.
(6) Add the Cornflour & Water to thicken while simmering and stirring.
(7) Season with Salt if required and stir in the Lime Juice.
(8) Set aside, the sauce will reheat well.

Szechuan Stir-Fry

Ingredients:-

½ Red Pepper, sliced
1 Onion, diced
1 Carrot, finely sliced
1 Spring Onion, diagonally sliced
1 Large fresh Chilli, sliced
Salt & Pepper to season
Oil to fry

Method:-

(1) In a large frying pan or Wok fry all the ingredients until softened.
(2) Add to the Szechuan sauce, reserving a little of the sauce.
(3) Stir in and simmer for a few minutes.

Special Fry Rice

Ingredients:-

1 Mug of Rice
½ a Red Pepper, sliced
2 Eggs, beaten
½ an Onion , sliced,
A slug of Soy Sauce
Chorizo, cut into small cubes,
5 Mushrooms, quartered
Frozen Peas
Oil to fry

Method:-

(1) Boil the rice in water until it is softened but still has a bit of bite.
(2) Drain and run boiling water through to get rid of the starch.
(3) Set aside covered until everything else is ready to go. I might be an hour, so cover it.
(4) When your meal is almost ready to serve heat a large frying pan or Wok and add a little Oil.
(5) Fry the Red Pepper, Onion, Chorizo and stir well.
(6) Stir in the Eggs gradually.
(7) Add the Mushrooms and stir until softened.
(8) Stir in the boiled Rice.
(9) Just before serving add the Peas and stir until everything is thoroughly heated.

Buttermilk marinated battered Pork Strips

Ingredients:-

Pork marinade

2 Pork Porks, cut into strips. Discard the fat
440Ml of Buttermilk
1/8 Tsp of Mono-Sodium Glutamate
Cayenne Pepper
Chilli Flakes
Fresh ground Black Pepper
Garlic Salt
Onion Salt

To coat:-

Cornflour

Batter Ingredients:-

2 Eggs
Plain Flour (Gluten free for us)
Soda Water
Garlic Salt
Onion Salt
Turmeric

Method:-

(1) Mix the marinade ingredients and add the Pork Strips.
(2) Allow to sit in the fridge for at least an hour while you prepare everything else.
(3) When you are half an hour of so away from serving make the batter ingredients.
(4) Heat a fryer to 170c.
(5) Remove the Pork from the marinade individually and dredge each piece in Cornflour.
(6) Fully coat in the batter and fry until they are slightly browned and pop up.
(7) Set each aside to drain on kitchen paper and repeat until they are all done.
(8) When you are ready to serve up drop the whole lot back in the fryer to brown and drain again before serving.

Szechuan Killer mini Cucumber Pickle

Ingredients:-

3 Baby  Cucumbers, cut until strips
2 Tsp of Peppercorns, crushed
½ Tsp of Coriander Seeds, crushed
8 Small dried Red Chillies
A Thumb of fresh Ginger, finely sliced
Soy Sauce
100Ml of White Wine Vinegar
500g of Castor Sugar
1 Tsp of Salt
2 Clove of Garlic, finely sliced
Oil to fry

Method:-

(1) Fry the crushed Peppercorns,  Coriander Seeds and Chillies until fragrant.
(2) Add the Ginger & fresh Garlic and stir.
(3) Add the Soy Sauce, White Wine Vinegar and simmer.
(4) Stir in the Sugar & Salt and allow to reduce over a low heat.
(5) Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
(6) Arrange the slices of Cucumber in a jar and pour over the cooled liquid. Seal with a lid.
(7) This will improve with age, but if very good to eat as it is.

So to assemble. (We’d about had it at this stage!)

You’ll probably have a fryer still hot and smoking?

(1) Snap a few Rice Noodles into short lengths.
(2) Plate up the Special Fried Rice.
(3) Dunk the Noodles and as soon as they puff up drain them.
(4) Add a layer of the Szechuan Stir-Fry over the Rice.
(5) Lay the Battered Pork over the top.
(6) Pour over the remaining hot Szechuan Sauce.
(7) Garnish with the crispy Noodles and a bit of Spring Onion.
(8) Serve the Killer mini Cucumber Pickle, as a side.

If you’ve go to this stage – You’ve waaaay to much time on your hands and should really be working in a Commercial Kitchen!!!

It was really good though….