East meets West as Ken Hom & Gizzi Erskine create Bri-nese dishes for the Year of the Pig
The Year of the Pig begins on 5 February 2019 – and to mark Chinese New Year, Lee Kum Kee has brought together the best of Chinese and British cuisine to inspire and celebrate the mix of two great cultures.
Britain is a melting pot of culinary flavours, experiences and creativity, with Chinese food a firm national favourite. Ken Hom is widely regarded as one of the world’s greatest authorities on Chinese cooking, with six decades of cooking experience and a legacy that has helped Westerners learn to cook better Oriental cuisine; and Gizzi Erksine is an Asian food aficionado who has brought her world travel experiences into British kitchens through her approachable modern cooking style. Together they have created eight British-Chinese recipes that represent the best of a fusion of East and West.
Ken Hom has recreated four Chinese classics with a distinctly British set of ingredients whilst Gizzi Erskine has taken some of Britain’s most beloved dishes and given them an Oriental makeover. The combination of British ingredients and authentic Chinese sauces have created simple-to-cook dishes that will help families and urban foodies see how Lee Kum Kee’s store cupboard staples like their iconic Premium Oyster Sauce and Chiu Chow Chilli Oil can revitalise mealtimes. With recipes ranging from Gizzi Erskine’s Soy Roast Chicken to Ken Hom’s Vegan Friendly Sichuan Dan Dan Noodles, there is something for everyone.
Lee Kum Kee sauces are famous across China, with a proud 130 years of rich culinary heritage their authentic products are made from the finest ingredients and can be found everywhere from home kitchen cupboards to alongside the stoves of Michelin-starred chefs. The company is passionate about promoting Chinese cuisine worldwide and making authentic Chinese cooking sauces available to everyone.
Recipes by Gizzi Erksine
Gizzi Erskine is the presenter of several food TV shows, most recently Seoul Food for BBC America, and has been a columnist for The Sunday Times Magazine for almost three years. She’s helped launch food Mecca Mare Street Market, is imminently opening sustainable burger bar “F!LTH” and currently having success with the release of her fifth book SLOW.
Soy Roast Chicken; a great British classic roast with an aromatic twist, featuring Light Soy Sauce, Dark Soy Sauce, Oyster Sauce and Chinese five spice.
Kung Pao Glazed Gammon & Pineapple; taste the happy marriage of cultures with this spicy take on honey-glazed gammon. Serve with chips or sushi rice.
Pan Griddled Mackerel with Soy Glazed Beetroot; a delicious dish bursting with flavour, from the smoky mackerel and savoury soy glazed beetroot. Sprinkle over mizuna leaves and serve alone or with plain rice.
Portobello Mushroom, Beansprout & Spring Onion Crispy Broken Eggs; a quick to cook and flavour packed dish, which can easily be made veggie friendly by replacing the Premium Oyster Sauce with Sweet Soy Sauce and Chiu Chow Chilli Oil – yum!
Recipes by Ken Hom
Ken Hom is a stalwart of Chinese cooking. With roots in China, the USA and Europe, Ken understands better than most the unique challenges and opportunities that arise from living in a multicultural environment. He has enjoyed a career as an author, broadcaster and overall authority on Chinese cuisine who has helped British consumers better understand the joy of cooking Oriental food at home.
Vegan friendly Sichuan Dan Dan Noodles; traditional dandan noodles are given a mouth-watering, vegan twist using Chilli Garlic Sauce, Premium Dark Soy Sauce and peanut butter.
My Mother’s Braised East-West beef Stew; a tribute to his mother’s cooking, Ken creates a warming beef stew with classic Chinese flavours and traditional Western ingredients.
Savoury Duck with Oyster Sauce; succulent duck breast is marinated in Premium Light Soy Sauce, Shaoxing rice wine and Chiu Chow Chilli Oil for a simple light and flavour-packed dish.
Braised Spicy Aubergines; perfect for vegetarians this aromatic recipe combines tangy aubergine and chopped spring onions for a quick to cook dish, perfect for lunch or dinner.
Ken Hom’s Savoury Duck with Oyster Sauce
“Whole duck breasts can now be found at supermarkets which is quite fantastic. They are ideal for fast cooking especially in the wok. Since these duck breasts are tender and do not need much cooking, I think they should ideally be served like a lean piece of beef. Oyster sauce makes this dish not impressive but delicious without much work or fuss.” – Ken Hom
Serves 4
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
450 g (1 lb) boneless duck breasts, skinned
2 teaspoons Lee Kum Kee Premium Light Soy Sauce
2 teaspoons Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry
2 teaspoons sesame oil
¼ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 teaspoons cornflour
3 tablespoons groundnut oil
3 tablespoons garlic, coarsely chopped
225g (8 oz) onion, sliced
3 tablespoons Lee Kum Kee Premium Oyster sauce
1 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry
2 teaspoons Lee Kum Kee Chiu Chow Chilli Oil
1 teaspoon sugar
handful of fresh coriander sprigs
Cut the duck breasts into thick slices 4 cm (1½ in) long x 1 cm (½ in) thick. Put the duck slices into a bowl and add the soy sauce, rice wine or dry sherry, sesame oil, salt, pepper and cornflour. Mix well and let the slices steep in the marinade for about 15 minutes.
Heat a wok or large frying-pan over high heat until it is very hot. Add the oil, and when it is very hot and slightly smoking, add the duck from the marinade and stir-fry for about 2 minutes. Remove the duck and drain it in a colander. The duck should be slightly pink. Pour off all but 1½ tablespoons of the oil and re-heat it over high heat, add the garlic and onion and stir-fry for 3 minutes or until the onions are brown and soft.
Turn the heat to low and add the oyster sauce, rice wine, chilli oil and sugar and stir for 2 minutes. Return the duck to the wok or pan. Stir to mix well, toss in the coriander sprigs and serve at once with plain rice.
Ken Hom’s Braised Spicy Aubergines
“Aubergines are one of my favourite vegetables. I love their colour, taste and texture. Their subtle flavour is receptive to a good zesty sauce, such as this one from Western China. It’s worth trying to get the small, long thin Chinese aubergines for their sweet taste. However, this recipe also works perfectly well with the large European variety. The Chinese prefer to leave the skin on because it holds the aubergine together throughout the cooking and because the skins are tender, tasty and nutritious, but your preference may be for the skinned version.”
“Two techniques are employed here: a quick stir-frying to blend the seasonings, and braising which cooks the aubergines and makes a sauce in which the aubergines are served. The result is a tender and distinctively flavoured vegetable dish.” – Ken Hom
Serves 4
Preparation: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
450g (1 lb) aubergines
2 teaspoons salt
1½ tablespoon groundnut or vegetable oil
2 tablespoons garlic, finely chopped
1½ tablespoon fresh ginger, finely chopped
3 tablespoons spring onions, white part only, finely chopped
2 tablespoons Lee Kum Kee Premium Dark Soy Sauce
1 tablespoon Lee Kum Kee Chilli Garlic Sauce
1 tablespoon Lee Kum Kee Chiu Chow Chilli oil
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
2 teaspoons Sichuan peppercorns, roasted and ground
300 ml (10 fl oz) vegetarian stock or water
To garnish:
2 tablespoons green spring onion tops, chopped
Trim and cut the aubergines into 2.5 cm (1 inch) cubes. Sprinkle the cubes with salt and leave them in a sieve to drain for 20 minutes. Then rinse them under cold running water and pat them dry with kitchen paper.
Heat a wok or large frying-pan over high heat until it is hot. Add the oil, and when it is very hot and slightly smoking, add the garlic, ginger and spring onions and stir-fry them for 30 seconds, then add the aubergines and continue to stir-fry for 1 minute. Then add the rest of the ingredients. Turn the heat down and cook uncovered for 10-15 minutes until the aubergine is tender, stirring occasionally.
Return the heat to high and continue to stir until the liquid has been reduced and has thickened slightly. Turn the mixture onto a serving dish and garnish with the chopped spring onions tops.
Gizzi Erskine’s Mushroom, Beansprout and Spring Onion Crispy Broken Eggs
“This protein-packed dish is light, fresh and healthy, as well as being super-quick to make. It’s perfect for when you need something fast and fresh-tasting with a bit of a kick and that satisfying umami quality, which is provided by the oyster sauce.” – Gizzi Erskine
Serves 1
Prep time 5 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes
3 tbsp groundnut oil
3 Large Portobello Mushrooms, sliced into1cm thick pieces
3 spring onions, topped and tailed and cut into 5cm lengths
A large handful of beansprouts
3 medium eggs
½ tsp sea salt
1 1/2 tbsp Lee Kum Kee Premium Oyster Sauce
1 tsp Lee Kum Kee Chiu Chow Chilli Oil
1/2 red chilli thinly sliced
A few coriander leaves
Pinch of white pepper
Cook’s Tip: For a vegetarian alternative replace the oyster sauce by mixing together 1 tablespoon of Lee Kum Kee Sweet Soy Sauce mixed with 1 tablespoon of the oil and chilli seeds from the Lee Kum Kee Chiu Chow Chilli Oil
Heat the oil in a wok or frying pan, over a very high heat. First fry the mushrooms for 3-4 minutes until their juices start to run and they begin to caramelise. Next add the spring onions, followed by the beansprouts and cook for 1 minute, keeping all the veg moving. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Add another large glug of oil to the wok and allow to get really hot. Crack the eggs into the wok, sprinkle with salt, and fry for 1 or 2 minutes, until the whites begin to crisp up but the yolks are still runny.
Add the vegetables to the eggs, and with a spatula carefully fold one half of the eggs over the top. Don’t worry if the eggs break, that’s why it’s called broken eggs!
Slide the eggs onto a plate, and drizzle the oyster sauce all over, followed by the oil from Chiu Chow Chilli Oil. Sprinkle with white pepper, the fresh chilli and lastly the coriander before serving immediately.
If you are vegetarian you can replace the oyster sauce by mixing together 1 tablespoon of Sweet Soy Sauce mixed with 1 tablespoon of the oil and chilli seeds from the Chiu Chow Chilli Oil.
Ken Hom’s Vegan friendly Sichuan Dan Dan Noodles
“This vegetarian version of the popular Sichuan traditional ‘dan-dan noodles’, is meatless and is lighter than the original. Use your imagination with any of your favourite vegetables like courgette or carrots, or even cucumber. It is the sauces that gives this noodle dish its full bite of chillies, garlic and other seasonings without the heaviness. These noodles are usually served after a meal, making a tasty finale. But I think this recipe can be easily a delicious part of any meal or a simple main dish.” – Ken Hom
Serves 4
Preparation: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
1 tablespoon groundnut or vegetable oil
110g courgette, finely chopped
1 tablespoon garlic, finely chopped
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, finely chopped
2 tablespoons Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry
2 tablespoons Lee Kum Kee chilli garlic sauce
2 teaspoons Lee Kum Kee Chiu Chow Chilli oil
1 tablespoon peanut butter
1 tablespoon Lee Kum Kee Premium dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
450ml (16 fl oz) vegetarian stock
225g (8oz) whole wheat noodles
Heat a wok or large frying pan over high heat and add the oil. Add the courgette, garlic, ginger and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the rest of the ingredients. Reduce the heat and simmer for 3 minutes over low heat.
Cook the noodles in a large pot of boiling water according to the pack instructions. Drain them well in a colander. Divide the noodles into individual bowls and ladle the sauce over them. Serve at once.
Ken Hom’s Mother’s Braised East-West Beef Stew
“Chinese cuisine is famous for its receptivity and for the flexibility and adaptability of its techniques. This recipe demonstrates these virtues. My mother – who spoke only Cantonese – often prepared braised oxtail stew, a dish that turns out to be a delicious combination of East and West and was inexpensive. Although oxtail is a venerable Chinese food, the tomato-based stew is a Western concept adopted in China a scant one hundred years ago. The soy sauce used in the recipe is of course a staple in Asian cookery; the use of carrots, turnips, and potatoes is strictly Western in spirit. Combined as they are, using Chinese techniques, these different East-West ingredients result in a deliciously hearty dish that contains the best of both cultures.”
“In this recipe, I am using beef brisket which works just as well and is very easy to make, reheats well, and tastes even better when reheated. A perfect autumn or winter dish with plain rice. This recipe has the Asian balance of meat and vegetables: more vegetables than meat.” – Ken Hom
Serves: 4
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 2 hours
900g- 1kg (2 to 2¼ lb) beef brisket
2 x 400g cans of plum tomatoes, drained and chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon groundnut oil
225 g (8 oz) onions, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
3 tablespoons Lee Kum Kee plum sauce
2 tablespoons Lee Kum Kee hoisin sauce
3 tablespoons Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry
Zest from 1 lemon
2 tablespoons Lee Kum Kee Premium light soy sauce
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
450g (1 lb) carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
450g (1 lb) turnips, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
225g (8 oz) new potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
Small handful of olives
Blanch the beef for 10 minutes in boiling water, drain well in a colander, and pat dry with paper towels.
Put the tomatoes into a food processor and blend for just a few seconds or put them through a food mill. Set aside.
Heat a heavy casserole pot over moderate heat, add the olive and peanut oil, and slowly brown the beef on all sides. Remove them with a slotted spoon and pour off the excess fat and oil, leaving just 1 tablespoon. Add the onions and garlic, and cook for a few minutes until they are translucent.
Add to the onions and garlic the beef, tomatoes, plum sauce, hoisin sauce, Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry, lemon zest, soy sauce, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 1½ hours, or until the beef is tender. Skim the fat from the surface from time to time.
Add the carrots, turnips, and potatoes and cook, covered, for 20 minutes or until tender. Add the olives and heat them through. Skim off any surface fat and serve at once with plain rice on the side.
Gizzi Erskine’s Soy Roast Chicken
“This dish combines two of my favourite things – a great British roast dinner and Asian flavours. Nothing beats a roast chicken, but this take on it delivers something a bit special that can either be served with all the traditional roast trimmings or equally well with plain rice and stir-fried vegetables.” – Gizzi Erskine
Serves 4
Prep time: 10 minutes
Marinating time: 1-24 hours
Cooking time: 1 hour 10 minutes
1 whole chicken 1.5-2kg
For the marinade:
3 tbsp Lee Kum Kee light soy sauce
1 tbsp Lee Kum Kee dark soy sauce
3 tbsp golden caster sugar
1 tbsp sesame oil
60ml rice vinegar
3 tbsp Lee Kum Kee Premium Oyster sauce
1.2 tsp Chinese 5 spice
1 tsp ground white pepper
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
5 cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
1 red chilli, halved
6 spring onions
1 tbsp groundnut oil
Decent pinch of sea salt
Mix together all of the marinade ingredients together in a small bowl. Place the chicken on a roasting tray. Pour the marinade all over the chicken, massaging it into the skin, and stuffing the ginger pieces and chilli into the cavity of the chicken. Allow to marinate for at least 1 hour, but preferably overnight.
Once the marinating time is up, preheat the oven to 190C / 160C fan oven / Gas mark 5. Now this next bit is a little fiddly, but trust me it’s worth it. With a needle and thread, carefully sew up the skin around the base cavity of the chicken, (blanket stitch is ideal for this), so that it is as tightly sealed as possible. Pour off the marinade into a jug.
Give the roasting tray and wash, and then lay the spring onions in a line to act as a trivet for the chicken. Next, pour the marinade back into the cavity of the chicken through the neck cavity. Gently place on top of the spring onions being careful not to lose any juices. Finally, sew the skin of the neck cavity up to contain all of the marinade within the chicken.
Drizzle the groundnut oil over the chicken, and season liberally with salt. Put in the oven for 1 hour 10 minutes, depending on the size of the bird.
Allow the chicken to rest for 20 minutes before serving. To serve; cut through the part of the chicken that’s been sewn together and Pour out the juices. Carve the chicken either British or Chinese style and serve.
Gizzi Erskine’s Chinese Barbecue Gammon & Pineapple
“A British pub classic that’s been given a Chinese makeover – this smoky Chinese Barbecue Gammon and Pineapple balances salty, sweet and spicy together perfectly. I love it served with freshly cooked chips, or alternatively brown sushi rice.” – Gizzi Erskine
Serves 2
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
2 x 1.5cm thick slice of smoked gammon chops or steaks (approx. 200g each)
2 x 2cm thick rounds of fresh pineapple, peeled and cored.
For the glaze:
1 ½ tsp Lee Kum Kee Premium Light Soy Sauce
1 tbsp Lee Kum Kee Plum Sauce
80ml rice vinegar
3 tbsp ketchup
300ml pineapple juice
½ tsp Lee Kum Kee Chiu Chow Chilli Oil
½ tsp Chinese five spice
1 tsp butter
2 tbsp groundnut oil
To serve:
Chips or 190g Brown sushi rice or plain rice
First, if you have time, soak the gammon in cold water for 2 hours, to help remove some of the saltiness.
To make the glaze, add the soy sauce, plum sauce, rice vinegar, ketchup, pineapple juice, Chiu Chow Chilli Oil and Chinese five spice together into a small saucepan, and place over a moderate heat for about 5 minutes, whisking until combined. Take off the heat and whisk in the butter until it has emulsified into the sauce. Set aside.
In a frying pan, heat the oil over a high heat. Once the pan is smoking hot, add the gammon chops and fry for 2 minutes on each side. I like to put a saucepan to weight the gammon down to achieve a really good caramelisation, remove from the pan and set aside.
Wash the pan, return to the heat, and add a little more oil before adding the pineapple. Fry on each side for a couple of minutes. Don’t worry if the pineapple gets a little charred, you actually are aiming for that as this adds another dimension to the final flavour.
Place one round of pineapple on top of each gammon steak. Pour over the glaze, allow to bubble for a few seconds. Serve immediately the traditional British way, with chips! Or alternatively with sushi rice or plain rice.
Gizzi Erskine’s Pan Griddled Mackerel with Soy Glazed Beetroot
“This mackerel dish combines the best of British ingredients with the fish and beetroot, with top quality store-cupboard staples: soy sauce, rice vinegar and sesame oil. The simplicity of the dish is what makes it such a joy to cook and eat.” – Gizzi Erskine
Serves 2
Prep time: 5 mins
Cooking time: 20 mins
4 boneless mackerel fillets
Baby beetroot, Heirloom are best, around 6 depending on size
30ml Lee Kum Kee Premium Light Soy Sauce
30ml rice vinegar
30ml Lee Kum Kee Pure Sesame Oil
1 tbsp of sesame seeds
2 ½ tsp sugar (or 10g)
sea salt flakes
a good couple of handfuls mizuna or watercress leaves
the juice of 1 lemon
To make the beetroot, place them with their skins and roots still on, into a pan of water and bring to the boil. If you have managed to get all three colours, (yellow, candy striped and purple), you will want to do this in separate pans so the purple ones don’t stain the others! Cook for approximately 10 minutes until tender. Remove from the pan and refresh in cold water. The skins should rub off easily now, but keep the roots on as they look pretty.
Add the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil and sugar, and put over a moderate heat for 10-15 minutes until it has reduced and turned into a thick glossy glaze. Add the beetroots to the pan and gently coat them all over with the glaze. Put to one side whilst you cook the mackerel.
Put a griddle pan over the biggest highest flame and get really hot to the point of it starting to smoke. Rub a little olive oil onto the skin side of the mackerel fillets, followed by a liberal seasoning of salt. When the pan is hot enough, place the mackerel skin side down, and fry for 2 minutes on each side. Remove from the pan and serve immediately with the beetroots and dress some mizuna leaves with the leftover glaze a little lemon juice, salt, pepper, olive oil and a sprinkling of sesame seeds.
Lee Kum Kee product information:
Premium Oyster Sauce
RRP £2.75, 255g – available from all major supermarkets
The first and original oyster sauce in the world
Over a hundred years of craftsmanship on making oyster sauce
Only quality, matured and fresh oysters are selected
Rich and smoky oyster taste and aroma
Thick and smooth, not lumpy
Thickens sauces, brings out the umami of all ingredients, enriches a dish colour and appearance and enhances flavour
Perfect for chicken pies, stews, paella, risotto and stir-fried rice
Chiu Chow Chilli Oil
RRP £2.90, 170g – available from all major supermarkets
Made from finest chillies, peppers, garlic and spices
A good blend of chilli oil, spices and dried chilli
Ideal for a variety of dishes, adding an enhanced aromatic taste and a spicy kick
Perfect for dipping, dumplings, dim sum, stir fries, noodles, dressings, salads
Premium Light Soy Sauce
RRP £1.20, 150ml – available from all major supermarkets
Naturally brewed
Savoury, strong umami flavour
Enhances umami taste of dishes and cooking
The ideal seasoning for fried rice and stir-fry dishes, marinating, curry, dressing for cold dishes including salads
Premium Dark Soy Sauce
RRP £1.20, 150ml – available from all major supermarkets
Naturally brewed
Sweeter taste than light soy sauce, less savoury with caramelised tones
Adds dark brown colour to the dish including braising and casseroles, marinades and stir-fried noodles
Double Deluxe Soy Sauce
RRP £1.70, 150ml – available from Tesco
Naturally brewed
Double fermented light soy sauce which provides a stronger, richer soy aroma and flavour
A tasty seasoning for stir-fried beef fillet cube, pan-fried king prawns, steamed fish, stir-fried noodles, salad dressings, salted caramel
Gold winner, The Grocer Food and Drink award 2010
Sweet Soy Sauce
RRP £2, 207ml – available from Tesco
Sweet and aromatic – the taste of Hong Kong
Great for dressing or dipping – perfect for dim sum and rice
Oriental Sesame Dressing
RRP £2.30, 207ml – available from Tesco
A special blend of soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil with a hint of chilli and garlic
Ideal for use in salads to give an oriental savoury twist or as a seasoning sauce for noodles, dim sum and dumplings
Hoisin Sauce
RRP £1.89, 210ml – available from Tesco
Can be used as a dressing on crispy aromatic duck and as a stir fry sauce in many Chinese classics such as Kung Pao Chicken
Also great as a dip and a marinade for ribs and roasts
Chilli Garlic Sauce
RRP £1.89, 190ml – available from Tesco
Made from salted chillies and minced garlic
Provides a savoury hot sauce for stir-fries
Can be used with all meats and seafood
Black Bean Garlic Sauce
RRP £1.89, 205ml – available from Tesco
Made from specially selected chillies and fermented broad beans
Has a mild spiciness, perfect for stews and stir-fries
Pure Sesame Oil
RRP £2.00, 207ml – available from Tesco
Made from roasted sesame seeds
Simply add a few dashes to meals before serving or use as part of a marinade
