Old favourites and many new dishes simplified for my kitchen without losing the taste.
In the latter decades of last century, Chinese food was the definition of international cuisine across Australia. Other cuisines were limited and lesser known. Takeaway Chinese or dinner in a Chinese restaurant was always something special and often reserved to mark special occasions.
The cuisine of China may not have retained its crown in modern times, but its popularity has nary waned against the flood of the cultural choices we have today.
Restaurateur Ross Dobson did his first cooking course in Chinese food at the age of fourteen and his continued love of the food has resulted in several cookbooks over his career. This latest one simplifies the dishes without losing the flavours, while providing a broader appreciation beyond the homogenised Cantonese food that we are most familiar with.
His introduction explains this, breaking down the distinctive flavours and techniques of each region, from noodles and wheat-based dishes of the landlocked north, to the spicy lambs and beef of the west. He goes on to highlight pantry necessities, common fresh ingredients and liquids before diving straight into the plentiful recipes on offer. He ends with a useful menu planner and an incomplete index that would also be illegible if the font were any smaller.
Lisa Linder’s appetising photography adds colour and temptation to each page opening while the recipes themselves break the ingredient list into Fresh, Spice and Pantry items. The cooking method is in an easy to follow, step-by-step format that is preceded by a short introduction where alternatives are often mentioned.
Dobson has succeeded admirably in simplifying the cooking of old favourites and many new dishes. Random pages of quick hints, such as Six Ways with Sesame Oil on page 80, are also quite useful.
Having grown up on Chinese food, there’s a homely comfort to diving into it once again, and I’m looking forward to cooking many more recipes from Dobson’s “truly fabulous Chinese feast”.
Spring Onion Pancakes (page 24)
This simple bread is a great opener with a sweet chilli or other dipping sauce, or it can be served alongside the main meal. With barely any ingredients, the end result is light on flavour, making it ideal as an accompaniment to almost anything, but good enough to nibble by itself if you prefer. I like my flavours strong so would add more spring onion next time. The pancakes can be made a day or two in advance and stored in the fridge, ready to cook when it is time to eat them.
Yangzhou Fried Rice (page 182)
Oddly, this recipe doesn’t appear in the rear index of the book under any of the three words in the recipe name. It’s a shame because fried rice is perhaps the first dish most Aussies think of when they think of Chinese food. This particular recipe is described as “the quintessential Chinese fried rice”. I cooked my rice the day before in a rice cooker to save time and would do so again in the future, although the recipe itself doesn’t call for that. The great thing about this dish, other than its wonderful flavour, is that you can add any ingredients you like. I swapped the lap cheong Chinese sausages for some gourmet sausages that I had in the fridge and it worked fine. The addition of sesame oil just before serving seemed an unnecessary tweak until I tried it and noticed how much more flavour it added. Lesson learned, and another meal to add to my list of favourites now.
Reviewed by Rod Lewis
Twitter: @StrtegicRetweet
Distributed by: Murdoch Books
Released: March 2020
RRP: $39.99
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