LESSON
My cooking skills are inconsistent to say the least. A tendency to burn things and a rather gung-ho approach to measurements (I’m no Nigella) is only redeemed by the enthusiasm with which I plan the occasional dinner party. In fact, it takes such an event to warrant the introduction of a new utensil to my rather limited repertoire. I do, however, love food and eat out often, so my new year resolution was to cook more – and to cook better, of course. As a result, the year began with a few friends and I starting our very own Come Dine with Me competition – I went first, and met with reasonable success (though my mascarpone and asparagus tart was rather greener and more gooey than I’d hoped). Next time , I thought, I’d be better prepared than ever. What I needed was some help from the experts – and so, with February and Chinese New Year approaching, I booked a cookery lesson with Jeremy Pang of School of Wok.
The lovely Jeremy arrived bright and early at 10:30am and furnished me with an easy but impressive custom-built menu: stir fried pak choi with garlic; prawn wonton noodle soup, and whole steamed seabass. Jeremy unloaded the food and cooking equipment he’d brought with him and the lesson began with a quick test – working out what ingredients would go into which dish. It turned out, I didn’t know my soy from my… soy, and Jeremy explained the difference between the main sauces of Chinese cooking. I had never even taken the time to realise the variance between light and dark soy sauce: the latter more syrupy, used for colouring and the former saltier, used more often and great for marinating.
Next up was knife technique (mine, alas, was at a level best described as ‘non-existent’) – I had to know how to use a knife properly in order to dice the vegetables for my wonton parcels. I’m extremely proud to say, I had it down (thanks to Jeremy’s guidance) in minutes, and was soon happily slicing Chinese chives, coriander, tiger prawns and garlic into neat miniscule cubes with a reasonable degree of precision. No more garlic crushers for me; gone are the days of my haphazard vegetable shapes, lovingly (if euphemistically) referred to as ‘rustic’. Jeremy had me itching to trade in my rather paltry selection of amateur serrated knives for his gleaming, razor-sharp professional one. I even learned how to cut and roll spring onion into the thin strips that garnish dishes and are used to make crispy duck pancakes. Wok and roll (ahem)!
As the lesson progressed, I realised that it’s the small things that make the difference in cooking. Dry noodles should first be soaked in hot water and then sufficiently dried by an open window or oven fan – not just boiled – to ensure they separate properly and to prevent them sticking together later. Fish bones and prawn shells can be used to make the stock for the noodle soup (with a little help from our old friend, oyster sauce, and that other staple of Chinese cooking, ginger). And of course, there is an art to using a wok correctly. Those who have mastered it refer to their ‘wok hei’ (which Jeremy translates for me as height of the fire), because proper technique demands the food be cooked at high heat while being stirred or tossed quickly. Jeremy took me through the basics, explaining how Chinese-style cast-iron woks allow for much better heat retention and all-over heat distribution – luckily he’d brought his own, as mine was steel with a Teflon coating – not as durable or ideal for the high temperatures required. He also showed me how to clean a wok properly after use – you should always swill with water at high heat rather than bunging it in the sink with detergent.
At the end of our three hour lesson, I was able to reap the fruits of my labour. The food was delicious; unbelievably fresh and infused with simple seasonings but bursting with flavour.
THE SCHOOL
School of Wok aims to bring the techniques of Chinese cooking to your own kitchen so that you, your family and friends can master the art without straying from home. Jeremy travels the length and breadth of the capital, sharing his cooking knowledge. Trained at the Cordon Bleu and having worked as a travel journalist in South East Asia, he loves what he does. “I enjoy meeting people from all walks of life,” he says, “and my job allows me to be constantly learning about food.” Having been surrounded by the wonders of Asian cuisine, he is happy to share the culinary techniques that, he feels, have been kept secret by Chinese restaurateurs over the last two or three generations. “What is a shame is that a lot of Chinese restaurants try to cut corners,” he says. “They use monosodium glutamate and aren’t willing to pay out for fresher, more varied ingredients.”
After the lesson, Jeremy sits down with me for a cuppa and shares some of his traveling tales, talking me through the regions most popularly referred to in Chinese cooking, the impact that geographical positioning and trade routes have had on cooking style and on the ingredients used in different types of Chinese cuisine. Cantonese food uses a broad range of ingredients thanks to its coastal location, while the further east you go (and the nearer to Shanghai) the wider the use of kimchi and pickle (surely an influence from Japan). The cuisine of Beijing tends to be more extravagant, because historically food was brought into the city from all over the country and cooked in numerous ways to impress the Emperor.
Knowledge is one thing though – a good teacher also has to be able to impart it effectively. I’m glad to say, Jeremy is great on both counts. From the start of the lesson, he pitched my skill level perfectly, and as the lesson is quite long, I felt able to acquire new techniques without being overloaded. The lesson left me feeling confident about replicating the recipes alone – and for those of you with more experience than I had, you can choose to make your favourite dishes, take a more in-depth course spanning seven lessons or take on the ten-course banquet challenge, with Jeremy as your sous-chef! School of Wok also offer Group Gourmet Classes: something I’m considering as a gift for my Come Dine with Me pals. After all, I thoroughly enjoyed my introduction to real Chinese cooking, and now I can’t wait for my next round of the competition: it’s in the bag!
No comments:
Post a Comment