A good, proper stock can be the vital base ingredient that makes a dish feel extra lush and full-bodied. Making your own Cantonese-style stock is very easy and satisfying. Like all stock this one can be made ahead of time, cooled and then frozen ready for future use.
Makes about 1.5 litres
500g raw bones, excess fat and skin removed (chicken carcass, pork ribs)
3 slices ginger
1 Rinse the bones under cold running water, giving them a little squeeze and rub in order to coax out as much of the blood as possible. Add the rinsed bones to a large stockpot together with just enough hot water to cover them. Boil vigorously over a high heat for 5 minutes then discard the water. This ‘first boil’ step will make for a much cleaner and clearer stock. For an extra clear end product, rinse the boiled bones under cold water once more.
2 Add 2 litres hot water and the ginger slices to the stockpot then bring to a rapid boil over a high heat. Reduce the heat to a gentle rolling boil, cover and cook for at least 2 hours. Remove from the heat.
3 Drain the stock by pouring it through a sieve placed over a jug, a saucepan or a storage container. If you feel that your stock is too oily, simply leave it to cool after being drained, chill in the fridge, then use a spoon to skim off any excess fat that sets on the surface. Use your stock within two or three days if you are keeping it in the fridge and within two months if freezing.
If a meal calls for steamed rice, we look no further than jasmine. The tender and delicately perfumed grains of cooked jasmine rice are unbeatable vehicles for any accompaniment, and adding something as simple as a mottled drizzle of light soy sauce can make for the most satisfying meal. If you become as fanatical about rice as we are, you will discover that the freshest and tastiest rice is cooked from raw grains that gleam with natural oils.
Serves 4
400g jasmine rice
1 Put the rice into a large saucepan and cover with water. Use your hands to agitate the rice to encourage the starchy powders to detach from the grains: the water will immediately turn cloudy. Drain the water away by pouring it carefully out of the saucepan, using a cupped hand under the stream of water to catch any escapees. Keep rinsing and draining a few times until the water is almost transparent and only has the slightest hint of milkiness. Drain.
2 Pour 700ml boiling water into the saucepan and bring to the boil over a high heat. Cook, uncovered, until the surface of the rice is dotted with little craters and is almost dry. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for 10–15 minutes until the water has been completely absorbed. Use a fork to fluff up the rice to loosen the grains before serving.