I initially wanted to knock up a pork san choy bau and do you know what? This could really easily have been a pork san choy bau if I replaced the chicken mince with pork mince – pork belly mince would be particularly nice – but my Jennee is damn sure that chicken is the flavour of the san choy bau of her dreams and quite frankly, I do not want to fuck with a girl’s dreams.

This one also has a few extra vegetables in it because I find it’s one of those things that will carry a lot of flavour from a little meat and it’s good for health a shit like that.

CHICKEN SAN CHOY BAU

(serve 4)

500g chicken – minced or finely chopped

5 cloves garlic, small dice

1 thumb sized knob of ginger, grated

Some fresh chilli – however much you think you like – sliced

1 tablespoon dried shrimp

2 tablespoons of peanuts, candlenuts, cashews or whatever nutty thing you like for a bit of texture, chopped

½ brown onion, small dice

1 medium carrot, small dice

½ zucchini, small dice

4 mushrooms, small dice (yeah, it’s all small dice. But I will keep writing it anyhow)

1 small wedge cabbage, small dice

½ fist sized piece of broccoli, small dice

100g rice vermicelli, soaked in cold water for 30 minutes and then cut into 2cm segments

1 tablespoon oyster sauce

1 tablespoon light soy sauce

Salt and pepper

Lettuce cups, bean sprouts, coriander, fresh and fried shallots, a chilli condiment, to serve

Method

Get it all together.

Get a wok hot. Like proper hot if you can (If you don’t have a good wok burner on your stove I find the best option is a fire or some charcoal in a BBQ).

Now get a splash of oil in there.

When oil is hot add chicken and a little salt and pepper.

Stir fry for a few minutes or until cooked, breaking it all up with a spoon pretty regularly.

Put in a bowl and set aside.

Get that wok hot again and then get a little more oil in there.

Now add everything except chicken, rice vermicelli and sauces and toss for a couple of minutes.

Add sauces and toss for another minute.

Add noodles and cooked chicken add toss for another minute or two, until the noodles are soft.

Check seasoning and adjust if necessary.

Serve it all separately and let everyone put their own version together at the table.