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Lobster & spinach soup

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For the stock

For the soup

Step 1
Put the chicken and pork into a large pan of boiling water.

Step 2
Boil rapidly for five minutes, then tip out the liquid.

Step 3
Add four litres of fresh water to the pan and bring back to the boil.

Step 4
Add a pinch of salt, turn the heat right down, cover and gently simmer for four to six hours, or until the liquid has reduced to one litre.

Step 5
Set aside.

Step 6
Blanch the spinach in boiling water for 10 seconds, or until just wilted, drain and squeeze gently with tongs to expel excess liquid.

Step 7
Put the spinach in a blender and blitz on a high speed until very finely chopped.

Step 8
With the blender still running, but on a very low speed, slowly add the egg whites and blend until the mixture takes on the consistency of a thin paste.

Step 9
Set aside.

Step 10
Prepare the lobster by removing all parts of the shell.

Step 11
Remove the skin from the tail meat, then slice into 12 equal-sized pieces (about 2.5cm each).

Step 12
Heat a wok until smoking.

Step 13
Add two tablespoons of vegetable oil, heat until very hot, then add the lobster pieces and shallow-fry for no more than 90 seconds - the lobster should be only half-cooked at this stage.

Step 14
Use a slotted spoon to remove the lobster meat from the oil and set aside.

Step 15
Into a clean wok, put two large ladles of water; bring to the boil.

Step 16
Blanch the mushrooms for 30 seconds, remove and set aside.

Step 17
To finish the soup, pour a litre of stock into a clean wok and over a low heat warm through for two minutes.

Step 18
Add the lobster and simmer for a minute and a half.

Step 19
Next add the mushrooms and the potato starch, sprinkled in evenly.

Step 20
Stir gently, add the spinach paste, stir again and simmer for 30 seconds or so.

Step 21
Turn out into four soup bowls, ensuring you get three pieces of lobster in each portion.

Step 22
Serve at once without garnish.

Step 23
Clean and open up the squid, scrape clean the insides and score the squid diagonally in both directions.

Step 24
Cut each squid in half or thirds (depending on size) into bite-sized pieces.

Step 25
Rinse the squid, then leave to dry in a colander.

Step 26
Once dry, coat the squid in egg white and lightly dust with the potato starch.

Step 27
Heat a wok over a very high heat, pour in enough oil to fill by a third and, once the oil is hot, deep-fry the squid in four batches for about a minute, until crispy.

Step 28
Tip the oil and squid into a metal sieve placed over a pan - that way, you can save the oil for cooking the next portion.

Step 29
Add a teaspoon of oil to a clean wok and sweat the fresh garlic, dried chilli and spring onions.

Step 30
Once the aromas are released, remove the wok from the heat, add the cooked squid and sprinkle with five spice seasoning salt and the fried garlic.

Step 31
Return the wok to the heat and stir-fry for 10 seconds.

Step 32
To serve, take a handful of shredded cabbage, place in an oval in the centre of each plate and pile the squid neatly in the centre.

Step 33
First make the marinade: mix the yakiniku, sha cha, light and dark soy sauces in a large bowl, add the sugar, Maggi seasoning, water, white pepper and table salt.

Step 34
Stir, then turn the fish over in the marinade to coat all over, cover and refrigerate for three hours.

Step 35
Preheat the grill to very high.

Step 36
Line a shallow roasting tin (around 5cm deep) with tin foil.

Step 37
Finely slice the green part of the spring onions lengthways (save the whites for another use, or discard) and spread evenly over the base of the tin.

Step 38
Lay the marinated fillets, skin-side up, on top and grill on a high heat for five minutes, until the skin shrinks slightly and becomes crispy.

Step 39
Turn over the fillets, lower the heat and grill gently for a further five minutes on a low to medium heat.

Step 40
While the fish is grilling, blanch the cloud ear fungus in hot water for 10 seconds, then drain.

Step 41
Add a little vegetable oil to a wok and stir-fry the cloud ear on a very high heat for a few seconds.

Step 42
Add four tablespoons of the wheat paste, plus a pinch of salt and pepper, and move around the wok until the fungus becomes shiny.

Step 43
Divide the cloud ear between four warmed plates.

Step 44
Over a very low heat, gently deep-fry the leeks for two minutes.

Step 45
Turn up the heat to maximum and continue to deep-fry until lightly golden.

Step 46
Remove from the wok and drain on kitchen paper.

Step 47
Remove the grilled fish and lightly brush the flesh side with honey.

Step 48
Return to the grill, this time skin-side down, and on a very high heat flash-grill for around 20 seconds until crispy around the edges.

Step 49
Place the fillet, skin-side down, on top of the cloud ear in the centre of the plate.

Step 50
Top with a small handful of crispy leeks.

Step 51
Decorate each plate with two wolfberries (if using), one at either end of the fillet, and serve.

Step 52
Dash of Shaohsing rice wine.

Step 53
Put the pak choi into the wok over a very high heat, pour in enough boiling water to submerge the leaves in twice their depth of water, and blanch for 10 seconds.

Step 54
Drain in a colander and set the leaves to one side.

Step 55
Add a generous teaspoon of oil to the wok and over a very high heat stir-fry the garlic until lightly golden.

Step 56
Return the pak choi to the wok, along with the seasoning, and stir-fry for 20 seconds.

Step 57
Add a dash of rice wine, mix and then turn out everything into a sieve.

Step 58
Press the leaves lightly with a wooden spoon to expel excess liquid and serve at once.