SPRING BAMBOO SHOOTS RECIPES

Steps:

• Heat a wok over a high heat until it starts to smoke. Add the groundnut oil. Add the ginger and stir-fry for a few seconds.
• Tip in the mushrooms, bamboo shoots and water chestnuts. Stir-fry for 1–2 minutes, season with 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce and the five-spice powder. Add a small splash of water around the edges of the wok to help create some steam. Remove from the wok and set aside to cool, this should take about 30 minutes to 1 hour.
• Put the beansprouts, cavolo nero, spring onions and carrot in a bowl. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, oyster sauce, toasted sesame oil, salt and pepper. Stir together to mix.
• Once cooled add in the mushroom mixture and stir well to combine.
• Arrange one spring roll wrapper so that the corners are pointing upwards, downwards and to the sides.
• Spoon 2 teaspoons of the filling starting at the bottom corner about 2cm/¾in from the edge. (Make sure the filling is cool but not too wet – otherwise the spring roll will be soggy and you will break the spring roll wrapper.)
• Roll over the filling, squeezing any air out as you roll away from you. As you reach the middle bring the two corners that are pointing to the side to the middle making sure they overlap. Continue to roll and tuck the top edge in and seal it with a little of the beaten egg. Repeat with the remaining spring roll wrappers and filling.
• Half-fill a large saucepan or deep-fat fryer with the oil. Heat the oil to 180C/350F. (A 2cm/1in cube of bread should go brown and crisp in 1 minute when dropped into the oil.). Deep-fry the spring rolls for 5-6 minutes swishing them in the fryer until golden-brown crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Serve with Thai sweet chilli sauce.

Steps:

• 1. Peel the garlic and deseed the chillies, then roughly chop and place into a pestle and mortar. Bash with a pinch of salt to a rough paste. Peel, finely chop and add the ginger, then bash until broken down and combined.
  2. Finely slice the mushrooms and bamboo shoots. Heat a lug of oil in a large wok or heavy-based saucepan over a medium-high heat, add the mushrooms and fry for 4 minutes, or until lightly golden. Stir in the chilli paste and bamboo shoots and fry for a further minute.
  3. Meanwhile, mix together 3 tablespoons of soy, 4 tablespoons of rice wine vinegar, the honey and a good pinch of white pepper. Stir the mixture into the pan and cook for a minute, then pour in the hot stock and bring gently to the boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes, or until slightly reduced. Meanwhile, chop the tofu into 1cm cubes, finely slice the spring onions and chives and whisk the egg well.
  4. Once reduced, remove the soup from the heat. Using a chopstick, stir the soup in a clockwise direction until you get a little whirlpool, then slowly add the beaten egg, stirring continuously to form thin ribbons. Stir in the tofu and return to the heat for 1 minute to warm through. Season to taste with soy and vinegar, then serve immediately with the spring onions and chives scattered on top.