Cantonese dishes my California family taught me, from steamed fish to pork dumplings

I was raised in California on Cantonese food, so it seems only natural that it’s often what I prepare at home. Many of these recipes, all published in the past 12 months, I learned from my parents and grandparents, while others are versions of dishes I’ve tasted in restaurants.

1. Chinese steamed egg custard with dried scallops, mushrooms and pork

This is an easy, versatile dish that you can change according to whatever ingredients you have on hand.

2. Stir-fried radish cake with XO sauce

The dim sum staple of stir-fried radish cake gets an upgrade with the addition of XO sauce. Bonus recipe – click here to find out how to make XO sauce.

3. Paper-wrapped chicken

Paper-wrapped chicken is seriously old-school – although that doesn’t make it any less delicious. You can wrap it in parchment paper (which looks prettier) or aluminium foil (which makes a tighter seal).

4. Pork and watercress sui gau (dumplings)

Sui gau is comfort food for me – my grandmother would sit at the kitchen table with a huge pile of the pork and vegetable filling and a stack of wrappers, and then patiently fold dumplings to feed the extended family.

5. Chinese steamed fish with ginger, spring onions and fresh coriander

This is the best way to cook a really fresh fish: steaming it lets the flavours shine though.

6. Salt and pepper shrimp

After you prepare the ingredients (which includes deveining the shrimp without peeling them), this dish takes just a few minutes to cook.