Chairman Mao claypot pork

It’s Chinese New Year tomorrow, and I’m looking forward to spending time with my family, feasting on traditional foods that symbolise good luck, health and prosperity for the coming year. I thought I’d cook something Chinese this weekend, so I opted for the ‘Chairman Mao’ or ‘red braised’ pork belly recipe well known in the Hunan province. The pork belly is meant to turn out a deep red in colour – the reason for my choosing this recipe, as red is considered lucky in Chinese culture. I used the wonderful rare breed pork belly from my Farmison meat box.

Thai chicken and sweet potato curry

It’s snowmageddon in England. Sick of the cold, inadequate heating, lack of sunlight, black ice, soggy socks and a complete breakdown in our transport infrastructure, C and I are getting away from it all and have booked a two week trip to Thailand in March. We simply can’t wait! In homage to our forthcoming trip I cooked up a Thai chicken curry at the weekend, only in the knowledge that the post-Thailand version of me will look back at this recipe and scoff. I hope to have some cooking lessons out there and learn about real Thai food, but until then this recipe will do.

Pork tonkatsu curry

This next recipe is for a modified pork tonkatsu – the Japanese deep fried pork cutlet served with a curry (or kare) sauce. The Japanese have marvellous ways of appropriating cuisines – I remember reading about how the best full English breakfasts in the world can be found in Japanese five star hotels, where they prepare and execute the dish with such precision that it has become a Japanese specialty in itself. Therefore I was not surprised upon researching katsu curry to find that curry was introduced to Japan via the British during the latter 19th century, during which time of course the Brits were in occupation in India. The Japanese adopted curry, twice removed from its source, and for a long time it was considered a ‘Western’ cuisine. For this reason, katsu curry tastes very different to the curry you might taste in India.

Sausage rolls with a Thai twist

Nine meat boxes down the line, and I’m starting to wonder how many ways you can make a sausage exciting. I’m not a big fan of them myself – except in two contexts: a sausage and egg sandwich (+ white bread + butter + ketchup), and SAUSAGE ROLLS. A defining sausage roll moment of my life was recently at my dear friends’ wedding on New Year’s Eve. After a long, exhaustingly brilliant night in the brutal Scottish cold, some beautiful, homemade sausage rolls magicked out of thin air to feed the hardcore partygoers. And I tell you, that was hands down my favourite moment of that wedding. Never was a sausage roll so needed and appreciated…

Spicy Sichuan aubergine and minced beef

Now for one of my favourite all time dishes that’s very easy to make (and eat!). It’s a tangy, spicy Sichuan recipe for aubergine, to which you can add minced pork, beef and even tofu or chicken. I adore any Chinese recipe for braised aubergine, where the aubergines soak up all the delicious sauces. I used the minced beef from my Farmison meat box to create this dish.