Salt 'n Pepper

Seasonings

Salt

Freshly ground Szechuan pepper

Chopped garlic

Chinese cooking wine

Potato starch

Oil for deep-frying

To serve

2 pieces cone shape pastry made of spring roll wrapper

Ingredients

Vegetarian (baby corn, tricolor capsicums, fresh button mushrooms)

Non-vegetarian (120 grams chicken or 120 grams prawns)

For the prawns, need to add some lime juice

Sauce

3 tablespoons of Szechuan sauce

Salt ‘n Pepper Mixture

1 tablespoon fine crushed of roasted Szechuan pepper

1 ½ tablespoons fine salt

About the image above: salt ‘n pepper prawns

To prepare the salt and pepper mixture: roast the Szechuan pepper and dry fry in the wok together with the table salt until really dry and keep aside.

To prepare the ingredients:  cut the ingredients (vegetarian or non vegetarian) into strips. Season with the above seasonings and deep-fry until really crisp. Then quickly toss in a bowl with some salt ‘n pepper mixture above.

To assemble: take an oval plate and place crispy noodle basket and fill with the crispy salt ‘n pepper ingredients. Serve with the sauce, and garnish with the capsicums, roasted black sesame seeds and fresh herb or any preferences you want. Serve while hot immediately.  Make 1 serving

About the image above: cropped salt ‘n pepper prawns

Szechuan Sauce

Make about 2/3 cup

1 tablespoons Chinese wine

1 tablespoon minced peeled ginger

1 teaspoon garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons dry crushed Szechuan chili pepper

½ cup chicken stock

2 teaspoons cornstarch diluted in 2 tablespoons cold water

1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce

½ tablespoon oyster sauce

1 tablespoon chili paste

1 teaspoon chili oil

1 teaspoon garlic oil

½ teaspoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon sugar

oil to sauté

Sauté the chopped ginger and garlic and add red pepper. Deglaze with Chinese wine, add chili paste, soy sauce, oyster sauce and stock. Bring to the boil and thicken with cornstarch diluted in cold water. Finish with the oils and seasonings

Helpful Hints: the salt ‘n pepper style is good to accompany your evening drinks or snack or for starter while waiting for soup or main meals. Hint of crispy fried prawns, chicken, lamb or vegetables gently sprinkle with either cornstarch or potato starch then deep-fry in hot oil to make golden brown crisp color. Sprinkle with salt and Szechuan pepper powder, to convert the salt ‘n pepper taste. Serve the dish immediately after it cooked or otherwise with not be crispy as it is.