I think it all started with Sichuan peppercorns- once they were on my radar, I just couldn’t stop adding them to almost every meal I’d make. Although, wait; no, it started way before that, with the realisation that, even though Chinese food is so often my go-to choice when dining out, I really struggle when attempting to make it at home. So, equally frustrated by this and overwhelmed by that newfound love for the lovely, fragrant Sichuan peppercorns, I reached out to the experts: namely, to my good friend Adrienne Katz Kennedy, PR & Special Events Manager at the School of Wok. She didn’t only fuel my enthusiasm for this amazing cuisine, but also gave some very useful tips on how to easily master it at home.

“Chinese cuisine can be such a healthy, accessible and quick option, we at School of Wok are a little bit surprised it’s not accessed more readily for everyday cooking.  Contrary to popular belief, most Chinese dishes don’t need to be complicated or involve a plethora of specialist or expensive ingredients. And because it consists of 90% preparation and 10% execution, they are easily adapted for allergies or food preferences, and make for great do-ahead entertaining options as well!

Start with some of the following essentials:

dehydrated/dried mushrooms (from grocery store ones like Shitake, to more specialist ones like Wood Ear etc)

dried noodles

jasmine rice

sesame oil

light soy sauce

ginger

garlic

dried chillies

Sichuan peppercorns

star anise

Stir fries are great every day one-wok meals, and hand/chopstick held individual dishes like wontons, are simple to make and can add a wonderful, special touch to entertaining.

Egg Fried Rice is a perfect one-wok meal, which can be easily adapted to whatever you have in the fridge. It can also easily be served as a side dish for roasted meats or steamed fish, along with some greens if you’re going all out. Just make sure that the rice is one of the last things you add to your wok, so everything cooks through and you don’t end up with a soggy dish.  

As for wontons, as head chef Jeremy Pang says, ‘If you can close the wonton, you can fill it with anything you like!’: vegetables or meat, leftover bits from the fridge, all with a little bit of marinade, a proper closure and quick fry, and accompanied by a dipping sauce, make for the perfect way to start off a dinner party.  Make the filling and fold the wontons before guests arrive, then either deep fry or steam once everyone has arrived for a stress-free starter option.”