Due to popular demand, we decided to launch a series of 2 Day Foundations of Chinese Cuisine courses.  As the school is always culinary techniques oriented, we decided to develop a course that is comprehensive, but interesting enough for our participants of all levels to enjoy.

Taught by our effervescent Guest Chef Low Shih Erh, this 2 day course covers a range of basic Chinese cooking techniques and methods traditionally used in Chinese cuisine. There are hundreds of methods of cooking, and there are many different ways that can be used to cook the same ingredient. Cooking techniques make up almost the bulk of the whole recipe in Chinese cuisine and they are as important as the ingredients that form the dish. The Chinese cook therefore has to be precise and pay attention to the little details. This is the perfect class for those who want to hone the valuable skills needed for Chinese cooking.

Specifically, the Series 1 course covers the following:

Skills of using Chinese Knifes & kitchen ware 刀工，厨具

Dressing, pickled, marinating, cold dish 拌，腌，酱，泡

Simmer, braise, slow cook 卤，煨，炖

Braised pork knuckle 卤猪脚

Preserve cabbage slow cook with pork 酸菜炖肉

Slow cook beef with radish 白萝卜煨牛肉

Pickled vegetables 泡菜

Marinating soya sauce duck 酱鸭

Minced meat shredded vegetables noodle 炸酱面

Stir fried chicken with mixed mushrooms 鸡丁炒杂菇

Squid salad 凉拌乌贼

Cold cucumber 手拍青瓜

Pork skin terrine 肉皮冻

Our particpants had alot of fun using the Chinese cleaver, many of them for the first time in their lives, to chop vegetables and meat.  On the second day, we gave them the option to use a normal chef knife and quite frankly, many chose to do so as it's an acquired skill to use a cleaver comfortably.  Still, practice makes perfect! The class is fully hands on with everyone working in small teams.  There are so many dishes to complete and they did a superb job.  If you want to add Chinese Cuisine to your repertoire, please don't miss this course.  We have 3 series and the second series is starting on 7th July while the third series starts on 16th August.  You don't have to enroll in the series consecutively as there are so many techniques to learn. Series 2 focuses on broiling, boiling and scalding, as well as steaming, double broiling and slow cooking.  Series 3 focuses on roasting, pan frying and stir frying.  These are all essential skills to add to  your culinary belt.  Once you have this, you should be confident enough to read any Chinese recipe and make the wonderful dishes. See you soon perhaps? 

Thanks to our participant Jan Evans who provided some of the photos.