Step out of your comfort zone and bring something different to the table this festive season with the delicious Oriental flavours from Wing Yip.

Christmas is the perfect time to celebrate and indulge in your favourite foods, and for veggies, why limit yourself to the nut roast? Chinese cuisine has always been a favourite in the UK, but who is to say it should only be celebrated with a Saturday night takeaway?

With this in mind, this Christmas Wing Yip has created an exclusive recipe to give an Oriental twist on a traditional festive dish – vegan mushroom stroganoff.

Wing Yip has four superstores located in Birmingham, Cricklewood, Croydon and Manchester which stock more than 4,500 authentic Oriental groceries and products. Its online store www.wingyipstore.co.uk is home to a library of Far Eastern recipes.

Excite and inspire this festive season…

Christmas Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff

Do something different than the traditional nut roast.

Serves 4

Ingredients

100g dried shiitake mushrooms

1tsp vegetable oil

1 red onion, sliced

1tsp paprika

500g mixed mushrooms, sliced, e.g. oyster, Portobello, enoki, straw, shimeji

2 cloves garlic, crushed

100ml Nature’s Charm Evaporated Coconut Milk

1tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Salt and Pepper, to taste

Method

1.Soak the dried shiitake mushrooms in boiling water until re-hydrated. This should take about 20 minutes. Once soaked, drain the water reserving 300ml.

2.Heat the vegetable oil in a large pan and over a medium heat add the red onion and paprika. Cook until soft.

3.Add the dried shitake mushrooms and the garlic to the pan and fry for 1-2 minutes or until the mushrooms begins to soften. Add the reserved 300ml of water from the mushrooms and simmer for 5-10 minutes until the mushrooms are cooked.

4.Add the Nature’s Charm Evaporated Coconut Milk and continue cooking for a further 2-3 minutes until thick and glossy.

5.Turn off the heat and add the fresh parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste and then serve with rice.

Slow-Cooked Pork Shoulder

Serves 6

Ingredients

1tbsp five-spice powder

1tbsp sugar

1tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

2.5kg pork shoulder

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 150°c.

2. In a large bowl mix together the five-spice powder, sugar, salt and pepper.  Add the pork shoulder and ensure that the spice mixture is evenly rubbed over the meat.

3. Take a piece of aluminum foil large enough to create a parcel around the pork. Place the foil onto a baking tray, add the pork to the center and then take each side of the foil and fold it in the middle to create a parcel.

4. Place the pork into the oven for 5 hours. After 5 hours, open the foil parcel and continue to cook for another 30 minutes.

5. After the 5 ½ hours of cooking time, remove the pork from the oven and leave to rest for at least 30 minutes. Once rested the pork should be tender enough to pull apart with a fork.

Bring in the New Year with these Festive Party Picks

Hosting a New Year’s Eve party this year? Don’t panic, Wing Yip – the UK’s leading Oriental supermarket, has put together the perfect party recipes to keep your guests entertained. 

Why not add an Oriental twist to festivities this year with Wing Yip’s two delicious recipes – Wing Yip’s Fried Prawn Dumplings, guaranteed to be a hit with guests and Coconut Fried Chicken packed full of flavour – not to mention that they are both simple to rustle up, so you can spend less time in the kitchen, and more time with your guests.

With four stores across the UK, in Birmingham, Cricklewood, Croydon and Manchester, Wing Yip brings traditional Oriental cuisine one step closer to UK homes. From fresh produce, to delicious sauces, intriguing spices and everything in between, Wing Yip has a wealth of ingredients to ensure successful New Year’s celebrations.

Fried Prawn Dumplings

Makes 10

Ingredients500g raw prawns, shelled and deveined2 egg whitesSalt and Pepper, to taste3-4 drops Wing Yip Sesame Oil30 round won ton wrappers

Salad creamLettuce, finely shreddedCarrot, finely shredded

Method1. Chop the prawns until they coarsely minced and put into a bowl.

2. Lightly whisk together the egg whites, sesame oil, salt and pepper and add to the chopped prawns. Use a whisk to combine the mixture at first, then use a rubber spatula to ensure that the prawns are thoroughly combined with the egg white mixture.

3. Form into a ball in the bowl, cover with cling film and refrigerate for an hour.

Before you start, prepare your workstation with a small bowl of water, a tray covered with greaseproof paper, and the dumpling wrappers loosely wrapped in cling film or covered with a damp paper towel.

4.Take one wrapper at a time and place 1 tablespoon of the prawn mixture into the centre of the dumpling wrapper. Dip your finger into the bowl of water and run it around along the edge of half the wrapper. Fold over the dumpling pressing the centre together firmly, and gently pleat the wet-side of the dumpling wrapper from the centre outwards, repeating on the other side. You will generally end up 3-4 pleats on each side. Make sure that the dumpling is tightly sealed. Alternatively, you can just firmly press the edges together.

5.Repeat this step until you’ve used all the mixture, ensuring that if it is taking you a little while to cover the dumplings with a damp towel to prevent them from drying out. Once all the dumplings are made, cover with cling film and refrigerate for 10-20 minutes to help them firm up. The dumplings can be frozen at this stage if they are not going to be eaten all at once. Freeze on a tray for 2-3 hours, and place into an air tight container for up to 6 months.

6. Pre-heat your fryer to 180°c and test your oil with a cube of bread. If the bread floats to the top and is golden brown in a few seconds, the oil is ready. Fry the dumplings in batches of 4-6, depending on the size of your fryer, for 1-2 minutes on each side until they are golden brown. Drain onto kitchen paper to help remove the excess oil, and repeat for all the dumplings.

7. Serve with salad cream in a dish on the side, and with the lettuce and carrot salad.

Coconut Fried Chicken

Serves 4

The subtle sweetness from the coconut along with the aromatic 5 spice powder adds a lovely Oriental flavour to this classic fried chicken recipe and is sure to impress your friends and family.

Ingredients

2 large chicken breasts, thickly sliced into approximately 6 pieces from each chicken breast

Approximately 2 litres vegetable oil, for frying

Coating:

200g plain flour

1tbsp Chinese 5 spice powder

1tbsp dried coriander

1tbsp sea salt flakes

100g plus 2tbsp desiccated coconut

100ml Nature’s Charm Evaporated Coconut Milk

2 medium eggs, whisked

Method

1.Mix the coating in a large bowl by combining 100g of the plain flour with the other dry ingredients, keeping the other 100g of flour and 2 tbsp of desiccated coconut to the side.

2. In another bowl mix together the Nature’s Charm Evaporated Coconut Milk and the whisked eggs.

3.Fill a large, heavy-based saucepan or a deep fryer with the vegetable oil and heat to 180c.

4.To coat the chicken, first place the remaining 100g plain flour into a third bowl and coat the chicken in flour, tapping off any excess. Then dip into the evaporated milk and egg mixture carefully shaking off any excess mixture. Finally place into the dry coating mixture ensuring that the chicken is fully coated. Place onto a clean plate until ready to cook. Repeat until you have coated all of the chicken.

5.Carefully cook 2-3 pieces of chicken at a time, ensuring not to over-crowd the pan. Turn the chicken over during cooking and these should take 5-6 minutes to cook. Remove from the pan and place onto clean kitchen paper to drain any excess oil. Sprinkle over some of the remaining desiccated coconut at this point.

6. When all the chicken is cooked serve with a dipping sauce of your choice, such as satay sauce.