Chinese Starters

Serves 4, 1 hour Preparation, 30 minutes Cooking

Not sure what to have for tea? Our recipe for quick and easy Chinese Starters of Prawn Toast Crispy Wontons and Spring Rolls have the same great taste as your local restaurant or take-away, and they are fun to make too!

Ingredients:

For the Sesame Prawn Toast:

• 4 Slices of bread
• 200g Sesame seeds
• 150g Small peeled Prawns
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 Spring onion
• 2 tbsp Soy sauce
• Oil, for frying
• Sprinkle of salt
• 1 egg, beaten

For the crispy Chicken Wontons:

• 150ml Oil, for frying
• 1 small Onion
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 tbsp Soy sauce
• 100g Water chestnuts, diced
• 4 small sheets of Filo pastry
• 150g Chicken, diced

For the Vegetable Spring Rolls:

• 150g rice noodles
• 200g mixed stir fry vegetables, thinly sliced (such, beansprouts, carrots, etc.)
• 1 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• Chinese five-spice powder, for sprinkling
• 4 small sheets of filo pastry
• 1 egg, beaten

Method:

1. To make the Prawn Toast, slice the bread into triangles and remove the crusts, then set aside.
2. Slice the Garlic and Spring Onion, and add these to the Prawns in a large mixing bowl, along with a sprinkle of Salt, Egg White, and the Soy Sauce.
3. Mash by hand, or blitz the mixture in a food processor, until the mix has a few small lumps and is not fully smooth.
4. Spread the mixture evenly across the top of the toast slices.
5. Sprinkle the Sesame seeds on top.
6. In a pan of hot oil deep fry the Prawn toast for 5 minutes, turning until all sides turn crunchy and golden brown.
7. Once cooked remove from the oil and blot with absorbent kitchen paper.

1. To make the Chicken Wontons, dice and fry the chicken until cooked through, then place in a large mixing bowl.
2. Chop the onions and water chestnuts and add to the chicken with the soy sauce and mix.
3. Place the filo sheets on a baking try and spoon a small amount of the mixture into the centre of the pastry.
4. Heat the Oil.
5. Beat the egg and brush over the pastry.
6. Lift each of the corners of the pastry and twist all around together to form a twisted knot with the filling as a ball underneath.
7. and drop each of the Wontons into the oil, and fry until the pastry turns golden and crispy.
8. Once cooked remove from the oil and blot with absorbent kitchen paper.

1. To make the Spring Rolls, heat oven to 200oC/180oC Fan/Gas mark 6.
2. Place the noodles and sliced vegetables into a large mixing bowl.
3. Chop and add the garlic and ginger, soy and a sprinkling of five-spice and combine to the mixture.
4. Lay out the sheets of pastry and spoon the filling down one side of each sheet.
5. Roll the pastry by neatly by folding both sides over the filling, then rolling them up.
6. Beat the egg and a brush around the roll edges.
7. Lift the spring rolls onto a baking tray, seam side down, brush with a little more egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds, and bake the rolls for 20-25 mins or until golden.
8. When the Spring Rolls are golden and crisp, remove from the oven.

Leave until the starters are cool enough to handle, then serve the Chinese Starters with sweet chilli or sweet and sour sauce.