https://www.scmp.com/rss/322875/feed Whether it’s cooking for festivals such as Christmas, Lunar New Year and Hanukkah, or preparing that special meal for your nearest and dearest, senior food and wine editor Susan Jung has the recipes to inspire and impress. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Susan Jung Susan Jung Although paprika is not native to Eastern Europe, it has long been associated with Hungarian cooking – it is used in goulash (a soup or stew with meat and vegetables) and chicken or veal paprikash, and gives a slight kick to roasted potatoes and buttered noodles. In Hungary, spice shops sell paprika with many different flavours and heat levels. If you find a spice shop that sells its products loose, ask to smell the paprika before buying – if it is fragrant, it should still be full of... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3331761/how-use-paprika-hungarian-food-staple-give-fried-chicken-and-potato-dishes-kick?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3331761/how-use-paprika-hungarian-food-staple-give-fried-chicken-and-potato-dishes-kick?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Nov 2025 07:15:08 +0000 Easter is coming, so cue the egg puns! Ahead of the brunches, chocolate and roast dinners you’re sure to indulge in this weekend, we’re highlighting a slightly different Easter tradition. Once a forbidden food during the 40 days of Lent, eggs became a treat to tuck into on Easter Sunday, and were eventually crafted out of chocolate in celebration of the spring holiday. More than just a protein-packed breakfast staple, eggs are used creatively by many across Hong Kong’s F&B scene. So, besides... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/100-top-tables/article/3306590/6-signature-egg-dishes-worth-celebrating-hong-kong-easter?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/100-top-tables/article/3306590/6-signature-egg-dishes-worth-celebrating-hong-kong-easter?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Apr 2025 09:00:29 +0000 A cookbook by Taschen is never really just a cookbook – for example, it’s unlikely that many people bought Dalí’s Les Dîners de Gala book purely to follow the recipes cooked at the surrealist’s legendary dinner parties. So despite Feeding Creativity seeming like a straightforward tome of vegetarian recipes designed by Mary McCartney for her famous friends, it is in fact much more. For one, it is a series of telling and personal anecdotes that reveal a peek into the homes and lifestyles of the... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/lifestyle/leisure/article/3239370/mary-mccartney-cooking-list-pals-gigi-and-bella-hadid-cate-blanchett-and-stanley-tucci-feeding?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/lifestyle/leisure/article/3239370/mary-mccartney-cooking-list-pals-gigi-and-bella-hadid-cate-blanchett-and-stanley-tucci-feeding?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Oct 2023 07:00:10 +0000 Queen Elizabeth became the first British monarch to celebrate a Platinum jubilee this February when she marked 70 years on the throne. She ascended to the throne in February 1952 after the death of her father, George VI, but didn’t celebrate her official coronation until over a year later on June 2, 1953. According to Food Network, the queen and her guests ate Poulet Reine Elizabeth – known as coronation chicken – at her coronation luncheon. The dish is credited to florist Constance Spry and... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3180351/how-make-coronation-chicken-served-1953-mark-queen-elizabeths?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3180351/how-make-coronation-chicken-served-1953-mark-queen-elizabeths?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Jun 2022 05:45:24 +0000 Jer jer (sometimes spelled je je) is a cooking style that gets its name from the sound the ingredients supposedly make as they sizzle in a clay pot. Often, it refers to chicken served in a clay pot, but it is also used for vegetables. This is a great dish for the Lunar New Year. It takes just a few minutes to cook, and is absolutely delicious. For a New Year feast, you might want to use Chinese lettuce (or small heads of romaine) – cut through the stem into four wedges – because sang choi is... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/3164936/how-make-chinese-sizzling-vegetable-pot-jer-jer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/3164936/how-make-chinese-sizzling-vegetable-pot-jer-jer?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Jan 2022 20:15:12 +0000 One of the dishes I remember my grandmother making for the Lunar New Year is Buddha’s delight, or fat choi jai. The dish gets its Chinese name from fat choi – a blue-green algae often called hairy moss seaweed (although it doesn’t come from the sea), and also for a traditional New Year greeting of kung hei fat choi – a wish for prosperity. The problem with fat choi is that its overharvesting is causing desertification where it’s grown in Inner Mongolia and other parts of China. It is actually... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/3164065/how-make-buddhas-delight-or-fat-choi-jai-lunar?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/3164065/how-make-buddhas-delight-or-fat-choi-jai-lunar?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Jan 2022 20:15:19 +0000 Many people are under the misconception that custard is a packaged yellow powder that’s mixed with water or milk to make instant crème anglaise and pastry cream. But these powdered mixes don’t come close to the deliciousness of home-made custard, which – at its most basic – is a mixture of egg and liquid, sometimes with the addition of sugar, that’s cooked to make crème anglaise, pastry cream, crème brûlée, chawanmushi (Japanese savoury custard) or other dishes. Bread pudding with crème anglaise... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/3160766/how-make-bread-pudding-whisky-sauce-and-home?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/3160766/how-make-bread-pudding-whisky-sauce-and-home?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Dec 2021 11:15:17 +0000 When I cook a holiday meal for a crowd, I like to lay out a buffet of several main dishes and plenty of sides, so everyone has a lot of choice. For vegetarians, I make quiche, salad and protein-rich tofu dishes that (I hope) the omnivores will enjoy too. For everyone else, I grill some chicken and roast one large cut of meat, to serve as the centrepiece of the buffet. Five-spice roasted pork rack This recipe took several attempts before I got it right. The problem was that pork rack has a thick,... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/3160125/how-make-five-spice-roasted-pork-rack-crispy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/3160125/how-make-five-spice-roasted-pork-rack-crispy?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Dec 2021 20:15:16 +0000 If you think of pork pies as dense and meaty, with hard pastry that’s sturdy enough to carry on a picnic or eat out of hand at a football match without crumbling, this one will change your perception. This pie – made with puff pastry and a pork filling flavoured with Chinese wind-dried meats, chestnuts and mushrooms – is pretty and delicate, and light enough to be served as part of a holiday buffet or as a starter to a festive meal. Pork pie with chestnuts and Chinese sausage This pie looks... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/3159089/how-make-holiday-treat-pork-pie-chestnuts-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/3159089/how-make-holiday-treat-pork-pie-chestnuts-and?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Dec 2021 20:15:18 +0000 With the coronavirus pandemic under control in Hong Kong, families will be able to gather and celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival this year – and enjoy eating mooncakes. Usually square, traditional mooncakes are dense – filled with sweet lotus seed paste and whole salted egg yolks. They are sliced up for sharing while admiring the moon at its fullest on the evening of the Mid-Autumn Festival. The Post got a lesson in making traditional mooncakes from Tse Sun-fuk, a dim sum chef at the Cordis Hong Kong... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3148966/how-make-mooncakes-ahead-mid-autumn-festival-lesson-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3148966/how-make-mooncakes-ahead-mid-autumn-festival-lesson-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Sep 2021 01:15:12 +0000 Rightly or wrongly, pavlova is the dessert I and many others associate with Australia and New Zealand. Yes, I know there are other famous desserts Down Under but this is so popular there that there are even pavlova instant mixes. Brown sugar pavlova My main complaint about pavlova is that it is too sweet. This version, which was taught to me by my Australian former food stylist Rachael Macchiesi, uses brown sugar instead of white. Brown sugar contains a small amount of molasses, which has a... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/3135023/how-make-brown-sugar-pavlova-dial-down-sweetness?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/3135023/how-make-brown-sugar-pavlova-dial-down-sweetness?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 May 2021 09:45:08 +0000 This cake looks unassuming – it’s quite plain, and is decorated with nothing more than a light dusting of icing sugar. But be warned: it is potent. It irritates me when I order rum-raisin something – ice cream, cake, chocolates – and the flavours are weak; you won’t have that complaint about this cake. It is probably NSFM, not because it is X-rated, but because the cake contains so much alcohol. Chocolate rum-raisin cake Mixing and baking this cake is easy and doesn’t take long, but you need to... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/3130284/how-make-nsfm-chocolate-rum-raisin-cake-it-might?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/3130284/how-make-nsfm-chocolate-rum-raisin-cake-it-might?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Apr 2021 10:15:18 +0000 Lunar New Year has many traditions and nowhere are these more apparent than in the food served during the holiday. Certain ingredients are eaten because they bring wealth, luck and happiness, and others avoided because they are considered inauspicious. One of the more popular dishes for a Lunar New Year feast is san choi bao, or lettuce cups. Lettuce is thought to bring wealth and the fresh, crisp leaves are filled with a savoury mixture that often includes dried oysters (symbolising... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/3120327/recipe-vegan-san-choi-bao-because-plant-based?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/3120327/recipe-vegan-san-choi-bao-because-plant-based?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Feb 2021 19:15:13 +0000 Making caramel can be nerve-racking the first few times, but it becomes much easier with practice. Melted sugar doesn’t start to caramelise until it reaches about 171 degrees Celsius, at which point it’s a pale straw colour. It gains more complexity – and becomes less sweet – if you take the caramel to a darker colour; I like it when it’s medium-dark amber. But there’s a fine line between just right and burnt, and if you let it get too dark, the caramel turns bitter and acrid. When the caramel... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/3119408/how-make-chocolate-and-salted-caramel-tarts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/3119408/how-make-chocolate-and-salted-caramel-tarts?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Jan 2021 17:15:11 +0000 If the only churros you’ve eaten are the stick-straight frozen type, you’re in for a treat when you taste the home-made version. Churros are easy to make, and dangerously easy to eat. What I love about them is that there’s a lot of surface area, which means more crunch. After they’re fried and drained briefly on paper towels, dredge the still-hot churros in plain granulated sugar, or mix in some ground cinnamon. They can be served with hot chocolate, or dipped in chocolate sauce or caramel... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/3114947/recipe-churros-easy-make-dangerously-easy-eat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/3114947/recipe-churros-easy-make-dangerously-easy-eat?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 Jan 2021 18:30:08 +0000 I’m assuming (hoping) that most people are having a socially-distant New Year’s Eve and staying home or gathering in very small groups, rather than going out and partying with friends and strangers, as we might in normal years. So instead of being groggy (read: hungover) on the morning of New Year’s Day, you can be up bright and early, and spend a little more time making breakfast for the family. Aebleskivers I first ate aebleskivers in the Danish town of Solvang, California, where I watched... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/3114938/how-make-aebleskivers-perfect-new-years-day?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/3114938/how-make-aebleskivers-perfect-new-years-day?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 29 Dec 2020 18:30:10 +0000 Not every holiday feast requires turkey as the centrepiece. One year, when I was living in San Francisco and unable to make it home for Christmas, my friends and I decided to celebrate the holiday at a restaurant, because none of us had a flat big enough to host a large group. Rather than go out for an overpriced Western meal (so many places jack up their prices during the holidays), we went to a Korean restaurant. The centrepiece of the meal was pork belly bossam, with kimchi pancakes, mandu... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/3114278/how-make-korean-pork-belly-bossam-light?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/3114278/how-make-korean-pork-belly-bossam-light?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Dec 2020 17:15:08 +0000 From the time of the Mughals to the British Raj, India’s culinary map has been dotted with dishes that have their roots all across the globe. It hasn’t all been one-way traffic though, with the British “recreating” a few recipes from the Indian kitchen – like the railway mutton curry and mulligatawny soup. One of their more glorified yet debatable interpretations is the nargisi kofta, popularly known in the West as Scotch eggs. A Scotch egg is a boiled egg enclosed in a minced meat patty and... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/3091657/are-scotch-eggs-actually-indian-mughal-curry-nargisi?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/3091657/are-scotch-eggs-actually-indian-mughal-curry-nargisi?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Jul 2020 04:15:18 +0000 My desserts tend to be tarts and simple cakes that are quick to make and need little decoration. Sometimes, though, an impressive, labour-intensive creation is needed. Chocolate layer cake with salted caramel, praline and caramelised hazelnuts This cake recipe is based on one in Rose’s Heavenly Cakes (2009), by Rose Levy Beranbaum, and the caramel recipe is adapted from The Last Course (2001), by Claudia Fleming. Store the leftover caramel in the fridge, where it keeps for weeks. Melt it in the... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/3090541/three-layer-chocolate-cake-recipe-people-you?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/3090541/three-layer-chocolate-cake-recipe-people-you?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Jun 2020 15:00:16 +0000 While the world is battling a pandemic, eating out at restaurants or hopping around bars is not advised or even impossible in large swathes of the world. Instead, we’re all getting creative in the kitchen – to keep your juices of inspiration flowing, we asked some top chefs and mixologists to share their favourite recipes which are easy to master from home while you self-isolate. Vijay Malhotra, cluster executive chef of ITC Royal Bengal & ITC Sonar, shares an easy broccoli soup recipe from the... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/well-being/article/3084601/4-easy-gourmet-dishes-and-cocktail-recipes-dine-style?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/well-being/article/3084601/4-easy-gourmet-dishes-and-cocktail-recipes-dine-style?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 16 May 2020 10:00:20 +0000 When it comes to Chinese New Year, Ringo Chan Wing-hung, 48, has fond memories of making tang huan, or sugar rings. They are thin, delicate round pieces of deep-fried batter that are reminiscent of gold coins. They are very airy, crispy, delicious and addictive – you can’t just eat one. Chan, executive pastry chef at the Four Seasons Hong Kong hotel in the city’s Central business district, remembers as a child watching his grandmother making them. “She wouldn’t let me make them because she said... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3046955/chinese-new-year-how-make-grandmas-sugar-rings-addictive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3046955/chinese-new-year-how-make-grandmas-sugar-rings-addictive?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Jan 2020 09:30:13 +0000 Not everyone celebrates the holidays with a big family feast; some people like to have a more intimate meal, or even spend the time alone. Served with steamed rice and champagne, this Cantonese dish of lobster with ginger and spring onion is the perfect celebratory meal for two (or one, if you’re a big eater; if not, halve the recipe). If you’re feeling indulgent, start the meal with a tin of sturgeon caviar, or salmon caviar for more modest budgets. Lobster with ginger and spring onion Killing... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/3042790/how-make-cantonese-lobster-ginger-and-spring?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/3042790/how-make-cantonese-lobster-ginger-and-spring?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Dec 2019 12:00:05 +0000 In the lead-up to the holiday season, friends and family are hosting everything from casual barbecues and BYOB parties to extravagant catered dinners. These fried wontons with sweet-and-sour dipping sauce are delicious and, as finger food, suitable for all but the most formal occasions. Fried wontons This recipe makes a lot of wontons, but your guests will love them. If it’s too many for your party, freeze the wontons you don’t cook and, once solid, store them in ziplock bags in the freezer.... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/3040560/how-make-fried-wontons-sweet-and-sour-sauce?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/3040560/how-make-fried-wontons-sweet-and-sour-sauce?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Dec 2019 12:00:13 +0000 This is a great dinner party dish that will surprise your guests. They will think they are being served regular roasted quails, but when they cut the birds in half, they will realise that most of the bones have been removed. I have to warn you that the recipe is a little more involved than usual, because it requires you to tunnel-bone the quails – remove most of the bones without cutting into the skin, leaving the meat and skin as a casing for the stuffing. But although it takes some time, it’s... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/3036580/how-make-quails-chinese-sausage-stuffing-not?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/3036580/how-make-quails-chinese-sausage-stuffing-not?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 Nov 2019 13:00:07 +0000 I love food that you can eat with your hands. With these quails, you can, I suppose, eat them with a knife and fork because they are almost boneless. But the bones you do leave in – in the legsand wings – cry out to be used as “handles” so you can pick the birds up with your fingers before biting into the meat. And I don’t know anyone who is stuffy enough to eat a globe artichoke with a knife and fork, especially when it is served with a delicious aioli to dip the leaves and heart (denuded of... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/3012306/fancy-finger-foods-how-make-fried-quail-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/3012306/fancy-finger-foods-how-make-fried-quail-and?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 May 2019 17:00:13 +0000 During Lunar New Year, Chinese people around the world prepare all types of luxurious ingredients to make into special dishes for feasts with family and friends.  Here are a few recipes that, I hope, will bring you health, wealth and happiness in the upcoming year. 1. Roast duck san choi bao I usually make san choi bao – lettuce wraps – the way my grandmother taught me, using dried oysters and minced pork. This recipe – incorporating roast duck from the siu mei (roast meat) shop – will... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/2184684/five-favourite-chinese-new-year-dishes-and-how-make-them?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/2184684/five-favourite-chinese-new-year-dishes-and-how-make-them?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 Feb 2019 18:00:45 +0000 Dishes that are considered auspicious play a major role in Lunar New Year celebrations. San choi bao (a lettuce wrap) is eaten year-round, but it is especially popular during New Year because lettuce is representative of wealth. It is often made with pigeon, which I feel is a waste of an expensive ingredient – you can’t really taste the bird, and anyway, I suspect that many restaurants supplement the pigeon with minced pork. Chinese New Year lucky foods explained: 10 auspicious dishes and why... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/2184273/lucky-dish-chinese-new-year-how-make-roast-duck?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/2184273/lucky-dish-chinese-new-year-how-make-roast-duck?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 31 Jan 2019 18:00:45 +0000 Cooking duck for a holiday feast takes a little more work than preparing turkey. Even the smallest turkey is enough for at least eight guests but one duck will feed only two to four, depending on appetites, side dishes and the size of the bird. While you do need to cook more ducks for a feast, once the birds are in the oven, the work left to do is no more involved than with turkey – you just need to occasionally baste them, then turn them over about halfway through. Glazed duck with kumquats,... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/2178702/holiday-recipe-glazed-duck-kumquat-ginger-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/2178702/holiday-recipe-glazed-duck-kumquat-ginger-and?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Dec 2018 18:03:57 +0000 The best bit about the lead-up to Christmas is that you get to indulge in all kinds of yummy festive food without having to go into full turkey-roast-potatoes mode and all the effort and hassle that entails. These can all be prepared before Christmas and be ready for when you have guests pop round, or saved for the big day itself. The preserves can even be used as stocking fillers for a unique little Christmas gift that the recipient is unlikely to expect. Let’s get cracking. Mince pies I have... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/2177291/mince-pies-yule-log-preserves-galette-des-rois-christmas?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/2177291/mince-pies-yule-log-preserves-galette-des-rois-christmas?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Dec 2018 18:00:47 +0000 The cuisines of the Middle East are varied, although there is quite a lot of overlap, and many countries say their version of a certain dish is the original. It’s too difficult (and too political) to get into that, so I won’t; I’ll just say that I love the food and am happy to eat it whenever I get the chance. Here are a few Middle Eastern dishes to make at home. Minced lamb kebabs and barbecued quail with pomegranate molasses glaze (with a bonus recipe for chicken wings with green curry and... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/2176192/middle-eastern-recipes-lamb-kebabs-falafel-baklava-and-more?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/2176192/middle-eastern-recipes-lamb-kebabs-falafel-baklava-and-more?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 03 Dec 2018 22:00:51 +0000 I’m not the only one who finds turkey the most boring meat available – although I do have recipes for it, including a classic roast turkey and my favourite, one in which the bird is boned, then stuffed with minced pork, savoy cabbage, chestnuts, pistachios and dried cranberries before being roasted. But, given the chance, I’d choose any meat over turkey, and many others feel the same way. If you’re in charge of the holiday meal, and you’re feeding others who are fine with breaking with... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/2173625/thanksgiving-turkey-bore-asian-alternatives-you-can-cook?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/2173625/thanksgiving-turkey-bore-asian-alternatives-you-can-cook?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 18 Nov 2018 18:00:27 +0000 Turkey isn’t the most flavourful bird, but it is an easy option if you need to feed a large group, as at Thanksgiving (which this year is on Thursday) and Christmas. And there are a few ways to make the meat less bland. First, buy a heritage breed. They are more expensive and a little harder to find than the battery-farm type, which are bred primarily for the size of their breasts, but the meat is firmer and more flavourful. It is essential to salt the bird sufficiently and far enough in advance... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/2173545/juicy-thanksgiving-turkey-recipe-bread-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/2173545/juicy-thanksgiving-turkey-recipe-bread-and?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Nov 2018 17:00:54 +0000 Probably the best thing you can do for your mother on Mother’s Day is to give her a day of rest. If you have neglected (through laziness or because you forgot) to reserve a table for dim sum or a hotel brunch, it’s probably too late – all the best options will be fully booked by now. Ditto if you want to take her out for dinner. So, as a break, let your mother spend the day how she wants while you whip up this easy dessert. Five Susan Jung Mother’s Day recipes from our archive Fresh berry... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/2145276/make-mothers-day-extra-special-delicious-fresh?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/2145276/make-mothers-day-extra-special-delicious-fresh?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 12 May 2018 01:45:19 +0000 Grilled pork with pomegranate molasses and rosewater glaze / Pearl couscous salad / Chocolate mousse with raspberries When Valentine’s Day falls on a work day, it’s easy to think you don’t have time to prepare a thoughtful, romantic meal for your loved one. For these dishes, everything can be prepared ahead, so all you need to do on the big night is add the finishing touches. Click here for the full recipe Five-spice duck breast salad / Strawberry shortcakes Need a last-minute Valentine’s Day... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/2132991/four-simple-valentines-day-meal-recipes-impress-special?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/2132991/four-simple-valentines-day-meal-recipes-impress-special?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Feb 2018 11:30:25 +0000 Braised fresh abalone with conpoy, dried mushrooms, Chinese ham, and goose or duck webs This dish is full of expensive, auspicious ingredients that are supposed to bring wealth and happiness in the new year. It’s not difficult, but it does take a long time, so spread the work out over several days. Click here for the recipe Minced dried oysters, pork and vegetables in lettuce cups (ho see soong) This dish was my grandmother’s speciality: something she made only on special occasions, such as... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/2132204/seven-lucky-chinese-new-year-recipes-year-dog-bring-health-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/2132204/seven-lucky-chinese-new-year-recipes-year-dog-bring-health-and?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Feb 2018 10:45:00 +0000 If you are still in two minds about what to put on the table on Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve, or looking for gifts with a personal touch, here are 10 ideas to get any cook through the festive season. 1. Christmas gifts – chocolate banana jam, cranberry orange jam, raspberry jam Right before the winter holiday season, I dust off my jam kettle and get into gear for a preserve making frenzy. Jars of colourful fruit jams and marmalades make lovely gifts when going to house parties during... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/2124954/ten-food-ideas-christmas-and-new-year-cornish-game-hens?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/2124954/ten-food-ideas-christmas-and-new-year-cornish-game-hens?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Dec 2017 10:03:01 +0000 It’s time once again for a dish that’s suitable for a Christmas feast. Most people choose turkey because it ticks the boxes of being fairly easy to prepare (although making the insipid meat taste good takes more effort) and it’s large enough to feed a group. However, a hefty cut of pork works very well as an alternative, and if you use the low-and-slow cooking method, which takes about eight hours, you can start in the morning and it will be ready in plenty of time for your holiday... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/2124151/memorable-holiday-roast-recipe-look-beyond?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/2124151/memorable-holiday-roast-recipe-look-beyond?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 Dec 2017 04:16:03 +0000 Did cookbook publishers know something that the rest of us didn’t in 2016 when they were planning this year’s lists? Never has a year in global politics so clearly called for comfort eating, and food writers have delivered in ladlefuls. This has been the strongest year for cookbooks in memory and the list of recommendations here could have been twice as long. Comfort food, as the American food writer Emily Nunn explores in her moving and witty memoir The Comfort Food Diaries (Simon & Schuster),... https://www.scmp.com/culture/books/article/2122911/best-cookbooks-2017-comfort-food-syrian-dishes-cooking-and-eating?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/books/article/2122911/best-cookbooks-2017-comfort-food-syrian-dishes-cooking-and-eating?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 Dec 2017 04:48:13 +0000 In the introduction to his cookbook, Semplice: Real Italian Food – Ingredients and Recipes (2014), Dino Joannides writes about how proud he is of the popularity of Italian food while lamenting how that same popularity has led to a decline in quality. “Italian food is characterized by its extreme simplicity, with many well-known dishes having very few ingredients. However, it is its very simplicity that some­times obscures the most important element in Italian cooking – the understanding and... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/2112035/semplice-cookbook-sets-out-correct-mediocrity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/2112035/semplice-cookbook-sets-out-correct-mediocrity?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 Sep 2017 04:03:22 +0000 When Valentine's Day falls on a work day, it doesn't leave you much time to prepare a romantic meal for your loved one. But that doesn’t mean it cannot be done. Buy as many of the ingredients as possible in advance. The night before, make the marinade and whip up the mousse. Pour the mousse into a pretty serving bowl so you can share the dessert. On Valentine's Day morning, pour the marinade over the pork, then mix and refrigerate. That night, all that's left to do is grill the meat, prepare the... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/2069141/susan-jungs-valentines-day-menu-sure-impress?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/2069141/susan-jungs-valentines-day-menu-sure-impress?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Feb 2017 03:45:15 +0000 When it comes to cooking up feasts for Lunar New Year, it’s wise to play it safe, at least if you are superstitious. There are certain foods eaten at the start of the year because they’re said to be auspicious. Eating them might not bring good fortune or wealth, but I hope they bring you happiness, because they’re delicious. CLAMS WITH BLACK BEAN SAUCE Clams are said to bring great blessings to a household. This dish is a Cantonese cuisine classic, and easy to make. 20 grams fermented black... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/2063116/susan-jungs-lucky-recipes-lunar-new-year?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/2063116/susan-jungs-lucky-recipes-lunar-new-year?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Jan 2017 03:00:15 +0000 This looks like a regular roasted turkey, but your guests will be surprised when you slice it: in place of the bones, there’s a flavourful stuffing. There are several ways to remove all the bones from a bird in preparation for cooking it. The hardest method is tunnel-boning – removing all the bones without cutting through the skin. Next on the scale of difficulty is the technique described in this recipe: you slice through the skin along the length of the backbone, then peel away the meat from... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/2054417/susan-jungs-roast-turkey-recipe-deboned-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/2054417/susan-jungs-roast-turkey-recipe-deboned-and?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Dec 2016 03:30:15 +0000 Are you a creature of habit when it comes to preparing holiday menus, or are you open to new ideas? We’ve scoured our archives for seven festive dishes and desserts that are deliciously different. When I plan dinner parties, I rarely cook for more than eight. I make exceptions for the holidays, when I tend to invite “orphans” - friends who have nowhere else to go to celebrate. Sometimes these friends ask if they can bring other friends. The table may be crowded, but we have a great time. A 10kg... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/2054813/seven-recipe-ideas-holidays-if-roast-turkeys-not-your-thing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/2054813/seven-recipe-ideas-holidays-if-roast-turkeys-not-your-thing?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Dec 2016 04:49:56 +0000 The gifts I hand out at this time of year tend to be home-made ones: jars of very boozy mince­meat to make mince pies with, chocolate truffles, tin boxes of cookies, and Christmas pudding or stollen. This year, I’m giving away home-made preserves. In an ideal world, we would work with whatever fruits are grown locally and available fresh but, in Hong Kong, we often have to rely on what’s being sold at a reasonable price in the frozen-fruit section. Keep your eyes peeled for good deals on unusual... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/2052534/susan-jungs-recipes-christmas-preserves-perfect?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/2052534/susan-jungs-recipes-christmas-preserves-perfect?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Dec 2016 05:00:30 +0000 This Sichuan peppercorn spice rub offers an unusual but delicious variation to the usual leg of lamb. The meat goes very well with spring onion pancakes but, if you don't feel like making those, serve the lamb with cumin-flecked rice pilaf. Slow-cooked butterflied leg of lamb with Sichuan peppercorn spice rub Have the butcher butterfly the leg of lamb, so it's of a fairly even thickness. It will never be perfectly even, though, but that's OK because not everyone likes their meat medium-rare, and... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/1928806/susan-jung-spices-leg-lamb-sichuan-peppercorn-rub?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/1928806/susan-jung-spices-leg-lamb-sichuan-peppercorn-rub?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 26 Mar 2016 14:45:15 +0000 Many couples take the easy way out and book a restaurant for Valentine's Day. But if you're unwilling to pay the higher prices that restaurants charge on that day, and prefer a more intimate meal at home, one of you has to do the cooking. Fortunately, these dishes are easy and don't require any shopping beyond what you can find at the frozen meat shop (for the duck breasts) and your neighbourhood supermarket (for everything else). The dough for the strawberry shortcakes can be made the day... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/1911405/susan-jungs-valentines-day-recipes-duck-salad?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/1911405/susan-jungs-valentines-day-recipes-duck-salad?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 Feb 2016 14:30:00 +0000 XO sauce The recipe appears in my cookbook, A Celebration of Food (published in 2012), and last year, I made a video, demonstrating the technique. Since then I've adjusted the method: rather than steaming the dried scallops to soften them (a necessity, because they won't get softer once you start cooking them with the oil), I now simmer them in water, which makes it easier to shred them into small pieces. I was reluctant to try this at first, worrying that the flavour of the scallops would get... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/1985648/xo-sauce?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/1985648/xo-sauce?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 31 Jan 2016 03:15:00 +0000 With Lunar New Year almost upon us, it's time to start cooking auspicious dishes. The first recipe makes use of dried oysters and lettuce while the second includes a large quantity of dried scallops - all of these ingredients are supposed to bring good fortune in the new year. Minced dried oysters, pork and vegetables in lettuce cups (ho see soong) This dish was my grandmother's speciality: something she made only on special occasions, such as Lunar New Year, when she cooked for at least 30... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/1905419/susan-jungs-lunar-new-year-recipe-oysters-pork?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/1905419/susan-jungs-lunar-new-year-recipe-oysters-pork?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 30 Jan 2016 04:00:00 +0000 When I plan dinner parties, I rarely cook for more than eight, not just because I have only eight dining room chairs and eight place settings, but because I feel comfortable preparing food for that many people; any more and I start to get stressed. I make exceptions for the holidays, when I tend to invite "orphans" - friends who have nowhere else to go to celebrate. Sometimes these friends ask if they can bring other friends, which means that on occasion, the number has grown so large that I... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/1892345/susan-jungs-recipe-slow-cooked-bone-rib-eye-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/1892345/susan-jungs-recipe-slow-cooked-bone-rib-eye-and?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 19 Dec 2015 13:00:30 +0000 This is a great dessert to make in advance and would be a delicious and elegant ending for holiday meals. It's quite rich and intense, so even though it doesn't look that big, it should be enough to feed eight to 10 diners. Chocolate and salted caramel terrine This recipe, like some of my other favourites, exists because of a mistake. I wanted to make a dessert terrine based on an existing recipe for chocolate caramel mousse lightened with a large quantity of whipped cream and stabilised with... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/1888914/susan-jungs-recipe-chocolate-and-salted-caramel?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/1888914/susan-jungs-recipe-chocolate-and-salted-caramel?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 12 Dec 2015 15:00:00 +0000