Even with the vast number of recipes available on the internet these days, there’s nothing quite like leafing through a beautiful book full of recipes. It’s a medium that’s stronger than ever before, with cookbooks topping bestseller charts throughout the year. If you’re anything like us then you’ll have shelves upon shelves of them in your home – some kept in pristine condition, others earmarked, stained and scrawled over after years of use.
It’s this national love for cookbooks that has prompted us to start our very own cookbook club. Each month we’ll select a cookbook that we think stands out from the rest and ask you, the Great British Chefs community, to cook a recipe from it. We’ll publish a small selection of recipes on our site so, even if you don’t already have the book, you can still get involved and see how your cooking compares to everyone else’s. Apply to join the Facebook group here and take a look at this month's book (and recipes) below. We've also included the winning post from last month's book, as well as some of our other favourite entries.
Chinese food has been a beloved staple of the British food scene for decades, but it's only in more recent years that we've started to look beyond the Anglicised versions of dishes served at the local takeaway and begun exploring the real, authentic side of the country's vast, varied culinary landscape. In Wok On, Ching He Huang manages to strike a balance between authentic and easily accessible, which is exactly why we've made it our book of the month for January.
The humble wok is central to a vast amount of Chinese cookery, and all the recipes in this book are created with the help of one. From super-quick stir-fries to slow braises, salads and side dishes, almost all can be made in less than half an hour, making it perfect for midweek meals.
For a taste of what’s inside, take a look at the three recipes below. However, for the whole gamut of Ching's quick, simple yet delicious wok-cooked dishes, head over to Amazon to bag yourself a copy.
Tangles of chilled egg noodles are pepped up with a fiery, fragrant dressing in this simple, super-speedy dish. If you're after something that's going to banish the January blues and make your head fizz with chilli, ginger, Sichuan pepper and sesame, this is the one to go for.
Wobbly bits of pork belly are slow-cooked in a rich, deep and aromatic sauce of soy, chillies, Shaoxing wine and star anise in this winter warmer dish. The result? A knockout stew which is bound to become a staple during the colder months.
You only need a handful of ingredients and fifteen minutes to spare to create these flavour-packed pancakes. Squid, mussels and prawns are set in a simple pancake, along with pak choi and a three-ingredient homemade hot sauce.
Last month we channelled our inner chocolatier with Paul A Young's Adventures in Chocolate. Cookbook club members splurged on various cacaos and chocolate bars to create tempered truffles, cocoa cakes and even chocolatey chicken stews. Congratulations to Jez Mc who took the top spot this month – she wins a cookbook! Take a look at her dish and all the other honourable mentions below.
Make sure you post photos along with commentary of the dishes you cook from Wok On in our Facebook group to be in with the chance of winning.
