1. Dry-Fried Chicken in Lettuce Puffs
   
2. Golden Egg Dumplings with Chinese Mushrooms
   
3. Quick Fry Prawns
   

The Chicken Puffs are eaten with the fingers, as a starter. The Golden Dumplings are fiddly to prepare until you have had some pratice, but on the other hand the prawns are quick and easy to do. Menu serves 5-6.

Materials:
3 skinned chicken breasts, about 225 g (8 oz)
100 g (4 oz) chicken livers, cleaned, washed and dried
600 ml (1 pint) vegetable oil, plus 1 tablespoon
2.5 cm (1 inch) piece root ginger, peeled and finely chopped
2 spring onions, finely chopped
1/2 cucumber, finely diced
5 cm (2 inch) piece canned bamboo shoot, finely diced
25 g (1 oz) frozen peas, chawed
50 g (2 oz) dried Chinese mushrooms, soaked for 20 minutes, drained, stemmed and sliced
100 g (4 oz) canned water chestnuts, drained and finely diced
pinch of salt
pinch of sugar
1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
pinch of MSG
pinch of freshly ground white pepper
1 tablespoon Chinese wine or dry sherry
100 ml (3 1/2 fl oz) chicken stock
25 g (1 oz) cornflour
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
50 g (2 oz) rice noodles
1 lettuce, leaves separated, washed and dried


---

Preparation time: 40 minutes, plus soaking
Cooking time: about 5-10 minutes


---

2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok then add the ginger and spring onions. Stir-fry for 30 seconds then add the chicken and stir-fry until dry. 3. Add the cucumber, bamboo shoot, frozen peas, Chinese mushrooms and water chestnuts. Stir-fry together.

4. Add the salt, sugar, dark soy sauce, MSG, white pepper and wine and mix together thoroughly.

5. Blend the chicken stock with the cornflour and stir into the wok to form a sauce. There should only be a small amount of sauce, just enough to moisten the meat and vegetables.

6. Heat the 600 ml (1 pint) vegetable oil in another wok and when a cube of bread browns in 30 seconds, carefully put in the rice noodles. They should immediately puff up. Lift them out of the oil and drain on papper towels. Arrange on a serving dish and pour the chicken mixture on top.

7. To serve, put a little of the chicken, vegetables and rice noodles onto a lettuce leaf, roll up and eat, using your fingers.

2. Golden Egg Dumplings with Chinese Mushrooms ()

Materials:
100 g (4 oz) minced pork
50 g (2 oz) peeled prawns, minced
1 tablespoon mustard greens, chopped
1 spring onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
pinch of freshly ground white pepper
1 tablespoon Chinese wine or dry sherry
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 pinches of MSG
5 tablespoons water
4 eggs, beaten
250 ml (8 fl oz) chicken stock
6 dried Chinese mushrooms, soaked for 20 minutes, drained, stemmed and sliced
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
5 cm (2 inch) piece canned bamboo shoot, thinly sliced
50 g (2 oz) managetout
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon cornflour


---

Preparation time: 10 minutes, plus soaking
Cooking time: approaximately 1 hour


---

1. Mix together the minced pork and minced prawns. Add the chopped mustard greens, finely chopped spring onion, salt, white pepper, wine, 1 teaspoon sugar, sesame oil, 1 pinch MSG, and 4 tablespoons water, and mix well together.

2. Heat a well-oiled crepe pan until the oil starts to smoke, then add 1 tablespoon beaten egg to form a thin round pancake about 6 cm (2 1/2 inches) in diameter. Place a heaped teaspoon of the meat just below the centre of the pancake and then fold over the pancake to form a little parcel. Cook over low heat until the dumpling is lightly browned on both sides. Repeat until all the egg is used.

3. Place all the egg dumplings in a pan and add the chicken stock and Chinese mushrooms. Bring to boil and simmer for about 20 minutes. Remove the dumplings and mushrooms from the stock, drain and reserve in a bowl.

4. Heat a wok over high heat for 30 seconds and add 1 tablespoon oil. Drop in the sliced bamboo shoots, managetout and reserved mushrooms. stir-fry together, then add the soy sauce, sesame oil, remaining sugar and MSG, plus the remaining stock.

5. Arrange the dumplings on a serving dish. Blend the cornflour and 1 tablespoon water, and stir into the wok to thicken the sauce. Pour the sauce over the dumplings and serve.

3. Quick Fry Prawns ()

Materials:
450g (1 lb) uncooked prawns, peeled and deveined
1 egg white
1 tablespoon cornflour
600 ml (1 pint) vegetable oil
2.5 cm (1 inch) piece root ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
pinch of MSG
2 tablespoons chicken stock
1 tabelspoon Chinese wine or dry sherry
1 teaspoon wine vinegar


---

Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 4-5 minutes


---

1. Put the prawns, egg white and cornflour in a bowl and mix well together. Heat the oil in a wok, then add the coated prawns. Stir-fry the prawns for about 1 1/2 minutes, then remove from the oil and drain on paper towels.

2. Pour off most of the oil, leaving enough just to coat the bottom of the wok. Reheat the wok and add the ginger, onion, salt, MSG, stock and wine. Bring to the boil and simmer until the sauce has reduced by half.

3. Return the prawns to the wok and toss together with the other ingredients for about 30 seconds. finally, sprinkle on the vineger. Serve immediately.