Crusty on the outside, chewy and soft in the middle – what’s not to love about baguettes?! It’s hard to get a truly authentic French baguette in our home ovens, but we can get mighty close. Try this method for shaping baguette loaves with my favorite no-knead bread dough. You can double or triple the quantity of the ingredients and keep the dough covered in the fridge for a week – you get to eat freshly homemade baguette every day!

Makes two loaves,

• 210g        bread flour高筋面粉
• 90g         wholemeal flour 全麦面粉
• 2g          dry yeast 酵母
• 4g          salt盐
• 240g        water in room temperature

Method

1. Combine the bread flour and whole flour in a big mixing bowl. Mix well. Add into yeast at one side and salt at the other side. Gradually pour into the water and mix the ingredients well until you do not see any dry flour any more. Cover the bowl with a plastic bag. Leave the dough in the bowl rise for 2 hours in room temperature till it doubles in size. Cover the mixing bowl with a plastic bag, place the covered bowl in fridge overnight or no less than 14 hours.
2. Take the mixing bowl out of the fridge. Now let’s FOLD the dough. Dust the counter top or any work surface. Then tip the dough out onto flour-dusted surface. Divide the dough into two equal pieces.
3. Let’s work on one piece first. Gently but firmly, pat the dough into a rough rectangle approximately 12cm by 10cm. Make sure the bottom isn’t sticking and try not to deflate too many of those lovely air bubbles. Use both hands to pick up the right side of the dough and lift it off the work surface, stretching the dough upward as you lift (just don’t tear it.) Fold the flap of dough one-third of the way across the rectangle. Repeat it for the left side of the dough. Then using both hands, pick up the end of the dough farthest from you and lift it off the work surface and fold the flap of dough one-third of the way across the rectangle. Repeat by picking up the dough nearest to you – they sound like folding business letter, right? Once done, flip the dough over so that what was once the bottom of the dough is now the top.   (The folding technique here is not for forming the final product; this is done after the first rise to create structure in the dough. This is more to be required for high-hydration doughs.). Repeat the same process for the other piece of dough. Cover the two pieces of dough with kitchen towel and rest for 30-40 minutes.
4. Repeat the step 3 by folding the two pieces of dough one more time. Cover them with kitchen towel. Rest for 30 minutes.
5. Now let’s SHAPE. Sprinkle the work surface and shape dough with a little more flour so there’s no sticking. Take a piece of rested dough. Use the palms of your hand to gently press down into a rough rectangle approximately 12cm by 10cm. Then using both hands, pick up the end of the dough farthest from you and lift it off the work surface and fold the flap of dough one-third of the way across the rectangle. Repeat by picking up the dough nearest to you (like you fold business letter.) Use your fingers to press down to make sure the edges are well sealed. Then press and roll the loaf into a long baguette form. Start with your hands in the middle of the loaf and gradually move them to the outer edge of the baguette as you roll. Roll until the baguette is as long as like and your baking pan allows. Repeat with the other piece of dough. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Pre-heat the oven to 220C°/ 440F°. Transfer the shaped baguettes to the baking tray, dust more flours over the loaves. Use a sharp knife to make the slashes. Cover the tray with a kitchen towel. Let the loaves rise again for 20 – 30 minutes. The loaves are ready to bake when they look puffy and ballooned. Transfer the baking tray into the middle rack of the oven and bake for 18-20 minutes until the crusts are brown and golden.
6. 
7. Move the tray out of oven and transfer the loaves to a cooling rack. Cool down for 30 minutes. Serve.

Tips:

1. As you work the dough, keep it moving. Use extra flour if needed to keep the dough from sticking, particularly at the beginning and then when you roll the shaped loaf into the skinny baguette.
2. To replicate professional ovens as closely as possible, place a small oven-safe pan in the bottom of the oven while it heats. Add a half cup of water or a few ice cubes to the pan when you put the loaves in to bake. The steam will create a moist environment during the initial few minutes of baking and help get a crackling crisp crust.

Don’t be deceived by its looks. The well-loved home-cooked Chinese dish is just comforting and flavorful. Serve it with plain white rice and a simple stir-fried green vegetable for an easy, healthy and satisfying dinner. Be sure to spoon the glorious juices over the rice.

Serves 2-4

• 250g                     ground pork (30% fat in minimum) and ideally cut by hand猪肉末（7成瘦）
• 3 tablespoons   water in room temperature
• 1 tablespoon     sesame oil香油
• ½ tablespoon    light soy sauce生抽
• 1 tablespoon     corn starch淀粉
• 1 teaspoon      caster sugar白糖
• ¼ teaspoon        ground white pepper 白胡椒粉
• 1 teaspoon         ginger, minced姜末
• ½ tablespoon   cooking oil (optional)
• 80g                       preserved vegetables 梅菜  (pickled of Chinese mustards)
• 1 tablespoon     spring onion，葱末, for garnish

Method

1. Soak the preserved vegetables in water for 10 minutes, then wash it and cut into small pieces.
2. Add all the ingredients and seasoning (except spring onions) into a big bowl, use chopsticks and stir vigorously in one direction until the pork has a sticky texture.
3. Spread the meat out into a circle in a shallow dish that will fit into your streamer. Cover the dish with a plate or aluminium foil, place it in a steamer and steam high heat for 15 -20 minutes. 
4. Remove the dish from the steamer. Sprinkle with minced onion and serve.

This is a must try for any serious Sichuan food lover. No expensive cut is needed for this delightful dish. The cooking method calls for marinating the meat first, using a special cooking technique called “velveting” to ensure the meat turns out extremely tender and moist. The classic recipe for this dish uses Chinese celery, which has longer and thinner stalks and a more pronounced “celery” flavor than its Western relative, the common green celery.  You can find Chinese celery year-round in most Asian grocery stores.  Or use any celery of your choice.

Serves 4-6

• 300g     beef (sirloin steak or top round), shredded 牛肉，切丝

Marinade

• 1 tablespoon      corn starch
• 2 tablespoon        Chinese cooking wine 料酒
• 1 tablespoon        light soy sauce 生抽
• 1 tablespoon         cooking oil

Seasoning

• 4 tablespoons             cooking oil
• 2 spring onions (white part only)
• 1 tablespoon              ginger, minced
• 8-10                             dried chili pepper干红辣椒, sliced
• ½ to 1 teaspoon         Sichuan peppercorn powder (depending on your level of tolerance of the numbing Sichuan peppercorn)
• 1 tablespoon               Sichuan fermented bean paste (Doubanjiang)四川郫县豆瓣酱
• 1 small bunch             Chinese celery水芹菜 (or celery of your choice),  leaves removed, cut into 5cm-long sections
• 1 teaspoon                 White sugar白糖
• 1 tablespoon              white sesame seeds       for garnishing

 Method

1. Cut the beef into small and long shreds. In a large mixing bowl, combine beef shreds with marinade (corn starch, cooking wine, light soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of cooking oil). Set aside for 10 minutes.
2. Heat up frying pan over medium high heat, add 4 tablespoons of cooking oil. Once the oil is hot, add ½ of the beef shred. Use a spatula to move around the beef shreds to make sure the meat is quickly and evenly cooked. Cook until the meat turns pale then transfer out on a plate. You can place paper towel on the plate to help filter the extra oil and liquid. Repeat the process with the other half of the beef shreds.
3. Now let’s prepare the seasoning ingredients. Add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil (the used oil for cooking beef is perfectly fine) in a clean frying pan over medium heat. Add spring onions and ginger to stir fry for a minute or so until aroma. Then add dry chili, fry for another minute. Add Doubanjiang(the fermented bean paste). Continue to fry for 1- 2 minutes.
4. Now turn up the heat. Add into cooked beef shreds. Mix well. Make sure beef shreds are evenly coated with all the seasoning ingredients. In 1 minute later, add Chinese celery, Sichuan peppercorn powder and sugar. Mix well. Cook for another 1 minute. Add sesame seeds (optional).
5. Transfer out and serve when the dish is hot.

Tips

1. It is important to cook the beef shreds in batches as home kitchen stoves do not have as high heat as in the commercial kitchen. By doing so, we could avoid crowding the frying pan as well as use less cooking oil.
2. Removing liquid from the cooked beef shreds is critical. You can use kitchen towels as indicated in the recipe. Or simply transfer cooked beef into a colander. The key feature of this dish is ‘dry beef’. Otherwise, you will end up with a ‘soupy’ beef dish.

Do not underestimate the power of these baby potatoes! These awesome pan-fried potatoes are super easy, super cheap and super quick to make.

Serves 3-4

• 500g                          baby potatoes
• 1 or 1.5 tablespoons     cooking oil
• 1/3 teaspoon          sea salt
• 2                    spring onions, minced

 Method

1. Wash the potatoes.
2. Place the potatoes in a pot and cook over medium heat till soft. This takes about 10 minutes.
3. Use the back of a Chinese cleaver to smash the potatoes till flat
4. Place cooking oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Once pan is hot, place all the smashed potatoes. Cook till golden. Then flip. Cook till golden. Sprinkle sea salt and spring onions. Serve warm.