I usually make these turnovers with homemade rough-puff pastry (also called blitz pastry) because it tastes better, but I won't blame you if you use commercial puff pastry. It's worth seeking out all-butter puff, and it's even better if you buy it in a block, rather than rolled out sheets, which are too thin.My favourite jam to use as a filling is homemade mango jam - it has a bright, summery taste and the mango flavour is very pure.

The hami melon is large and oval, with pale orange, sweet, perfumed flesh. If you like, substitute cantaloupe or honeydew for the hami melon. If you're feeling really indulgent, use a Japanese crown melon. Whichever melon you choose, make sure it's ripe, and therefore, sweet.Start making the sorbet that accompanies it first because you need to allow time to make the syrup and let it and the lemon and lime juices chill before processing in the ice-cream machine. Once churned

San choi bao is a popular dish at the Lunar New Year, although it can be eaten at any time. Normally, the "lettuce cups" are filled with a meaty mixture that can include pork, quail, or pigeon, but in this version, all the ingredients are plant-based. Like the meaty versions, this filling is a good mix of colours, flavours and textures, and the lettuce cups add a cool, delicate crispness.This is a dish that invites improvisation. If you can't

This is a great casual dish for when you have friends over to watch a game or movie on the television - although you'll have to increase the quantities, of course. The sliders would go well with beer or a jug or two of sangria - just be sure to serve them with plenty of napkins, to catch the drips.I use small hamburger buns or slightly sweet, eggy brioche-type buns. They shouldn't be too tall, though, or the filling-to-bread ratio will

A true denizen of northern China might scoff at commercial wrappers for dumplings, but really they are so much easier, even for a small batch like this (and before you ask, yes, I can roll my own - albeit slowly). The best and cheapest places to buy wrappers is at shops that make fresh or dried noodles.The skins are available round or square (buy round for this recipe), and often, in two thicknesses. Buy the thicker ones, if you have the choice - they are

I love rich, oily fish such as mackerel, sardines and anchovies. These types of fish have a lot more flavour than most white-fleshed fish, and I like to serve them with something acidic, which balances the richness. For this grilled mackerel dish, I make a cucumber salad that's seasoned with fish sauce, fresh lime juice and chillies.Butterflying the fish so the flesh is intact, minus the bones and heads is harder to describe than it is to do. If you have a good fishmonger

Tamagoyaki translates as “grilled egg”, although most of the time it’s prepared in a special rectangular pan, instead of on a griddle.At its most basic, tamagoyaki is made by pouring a thin layer of egg whisked with other ingredients into the pan and cooking until it’s set on the bottom but still moist on the surface, then it’s rolled towards you and pushed to the other side of the pan. Another layer is poured into the pan, the egg is rolled over that,

The Japanese consider hiyashi chuka to be summer food, and in the spirit of seasonal eating, the dish is not served at other times of the year. But in tropical and sub-tropical climates, cold noodles are refreshing whenever it's hot outside - and that's far longer than just the summer months.Usually, the cold ramen comes with a watery, refreshing, vinegar-based sauce that you pour over the noodles, but I prefer a thicker, miso-based sauce.Although ramen is usually

The marinade for these fried chicken sandwiches couldn’t be easier, but the slaw takes a little work. Acar is a Southeast Asian vegetable pickle, and every cook has their own recipe. This one is made with ground aromatics that include chillies, shallots, garlic, galangal and turmeric, which are cooked with dried belacan (fermented shrimp paste), mustard seeds and tamarind pulp, before being mixed with salted cabbage and carrot.While traditional cooks would use a mortar and pestle to pound the...

This Korean dish of oyster, seaweed and rice soup is something I make when I’m dining alone, because I’m the only one in my household that likes oysters. It’s delicious, and takes only about 20 minutes to prepare, including thawing the oysters (I use frozen ones). It’s easy enough to increase the quantities to feed more; the cooking time is the same and you’ll just need a larger pot.If you have a good source of fresh oysters,