Mark Doe of ‘Just Cooking’ Cookery School in Firies has some amazing stir-fry recipes to liven up meal times…

Stir-frying is a quick and tasty style of cooking that is also very versatile.

Any prime cut of meat and most fish can be stir-fried and all vegetables as long as they are cut thinly.

Top tips for a super stir-fry

Have all your ingredients chopped and at the ready including the sauce of your choice.

If you’re using cornflour to thicken your sauce, add it to the cold liquid otherwise it will go lumpy.

Stir again just before using.

• Use a wok if you have one and because it needs to be hot, use an oil with a high smoking point, like groundnut, sunflower or rapeseed.

• Heat the wok well before adding the oil.

• Cook the meat/fish for a few minutes then remove from the wok. Then stirfry the vegetables.

• Cook the vegetables and cook to your liking. Firm vegetables like carrots, peppers and thick broccoli stalks will take longer. Leafy vegetables like spinach and bok choy as well as beansprouts can go in towards the end.

• Don’t overload the wok. If cooking for larger numbers, cook the food in batches and then mix together in the wok before serving.

Zingy chicken stir-fry with egg noodles

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 2 portions egg noodles

• 4 tbsp sunflower, groundnut or stir-fry oil

• 2 cooked chicken breasts, finely sliced

• 1 carrot, grated

• 1 pkt baby corn

• 2 garlic cloves, chopped

• 2 tbsp clear honey

• 1 tbsp soy sauce

• juice 2 limes

• 3 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

• 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves

Method

• Cook the noodles according to pack instructions, then drain. Heat the 2 tsp of the  oil in a wok and add the chicken.

• Stirfry for 3-4 minutes until just cooked. Remove from the wok and set aside.

• Add the remaining oil and heat. Stir-fry the carrot, baby corn and garlic.

• Add the honey, soy and lime juice, bubble for 30 secs, then add the noodles and sesame seeds.

• Mix well, heat through and sprinkle with coriander to serve.

Pork  Stir-fry with oyster sauce

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 2 pork cut into very thin strips

• 1 packet of cooked egg noodles

• 4 tablespoons of peanut, groundnut, sunflower or stir fry oil

• 1 head of broccoli, cut into small florets

• 1 Large carrot cut into thin strips(or coarsely grated)

• 1 Red pepper, de-seeded and cut into strips

• 1 Green pepper, de-seeded and cut into strips

• 3 Cloves of garlic, crushed

• 1 bunch of spring onions, finely sliced

For the sauce

• 1 Sachet of ouster sauce (Blue dragon sachet)

• 8 tablespoons of soy sauce

• 16 tablespoons of water

• 1 Tablespoon of corn flour mixed with 4 tablespoons of cold water

Method

1. Cook the noodles following the instructions on the packet.

2. Cool down the noodles under running cold water and set aside.

3. In a bowl mix together the soy sauce, oyster sauce and water.

4. Heat a wok or large frying pan and add ½ of the peanut or ground nut oil. Heat until a haze forms above the pan.

5. Add the pork and stir-fry for 3-4 minutes until the chicken is brown and cooked through..

6. Remove from the pan and set aside. Wipe out the pan with kitchen paper and return to the heat.

7. Add the remaining peanut oil and heat again.

8. Add the carrot, broccoli, peppers, & garlic and stir fry for 3-4 minutes. The vegetables should stay crispy.

9. Add the spring onions and the soy & oyster sauce mix.

10. Bring to the boil and stir in the corn flour.

11 Add the noodles and pork and heat through

Thai Satay vegetable stir-fry

Serves 4

Method

• 4tbsp crunchy peanut butter

• 3 tbsp sweet chilli sauce

• 3 tbsp dark soy sauce

• 400g straight-to-wok noodles

•2 tbsp groundnut, sunflower or stir-fry oil

• thumb-sized piece of fresh root ginger, peeled and grated

• 400g mixed carrots, peppers, red onion, baby corn, mushrooms etc…(cut thinly)

• Handful basil leaves, roughly torn

• 25g unsalted roasted peanuts, roughly chopped

Method

• Mix the peanut butter, chilli sauce, 100ml water and soy sauce to make a smooth satay sauce.

•Put the noodles in a bowl and pour boiling water over them. Stir gently to separate, then drain thoroughly.

• Heat the oil in a wok, then add the ginger and vegetables. Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes until the veg is just cooked.

• Add the noodles then stir-fry for a further 1-2 minutes.

• Add the sauce and bring to the boil then sprinkle over the basil leaves and peanuts to serve.

Nasi Goreng

I first come across this tasty Malaysian rice dish whilst working onboard the QE2.

Spicy rice with meat or fish, topped with a fried egg and prawn crackers is something you will be hooked on once you try it.

I like to add lightly boiled green beans to the stirfry.

Dried shrimps are available from specialist Asian stores as are prawn crackers.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 400g basmati rice, cooked and quickly cooled

• 1 leek, finely chopped

• 170g raw prawns, shelled and de-veined

• 2 chicken breasts, cut into thin strips

• 6 spring onions, finely sliced

• 2 handfuls fresh coriander, finely chopped

• 4 eggs

• 1tbsp ketap manis (sweet soy sauce)

• 6 large shallots, finely sliced

• 12tbsp Ground nut, sunflower or stir-fry oil

For the paste:

• 100g dried prawns, soaked for 15min in water

• 6 garlic cloves, chopped

• 4 red bird’s eye chillies, chopped

• 50g unsalted peanuts, chopped

• 3cm piece of fresh root ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

• Soak the dried shrimps in a cup of water for 15min.

Method

• Heat a frying pan over a moderate heat and add 8 tbsp of the oil. Heat until the oil is very hot but not smoking.

• Add the shallots and fry until golden brown. Drain the shallots on kitchen paper and allow to cool and crispen.

• Now make your paste. Place all of the ingredients into a blender and blend to a paste.
You can add a little of the water from the prawns to help the paste blend.

• Heat the remaining oil in a large frying pan or wok on medium heat. Spoon the paste into the pan and stir fry until lightly browned and fragrant.

• Add the leeks and chicken and fry for a few minutes until cooked, adding a little more  oil if needed. Finally, tip in the prawns and cook until they’re pink, which should take about 3-4 minutes.

• Lower the heat slightly under the wok and quickly stir in the rice, mixing well.

• Add the ketap manis, stir and season with salt and pepper.

• Now fry your eggs in a separate pan.

• Stir the spring onions and coriander into the rice dish.

• Divide between four plates. Garnish each with a fried egg and the shallots. Serve with a basket of prawn crackers.