How to cook with pak choi

This Chinese cabbage is so versatile with its broad green leaves and crunchier white stalks. Get the best from its subtle flavour by steaming of lightly frying it with these recipes

Sweet chilli chicken with garlic, lemon and coriander by Shaun Rankin

2 skinless chicken breasts
½ tsp fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
1 tbsp of sweet chilli sauce
3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely grated
1 lemon for zest
zest of 1 lime
1 tbsp of coriander, chopped
1 pak choi
50g of herby green salad
1 pinch of salt
1 pinch of pepper
2 tbsp of olive oil

To prepare the chicken breasts, slice them into strips and place in a mixing bowl. Add all ingredients – except the pak choi and the salad leaves – to the bowl. Mix well to cover the chicken and leave to marinate for 1 hour.

Once ready to cook, place a wok or frying pan over a high heat. Add the chicken strips gradually, without stirring – they need to be left still to caramelise on the outside. Once caramelised and golden, turn over the strips and cook to reach the same colour on the other side, ensuring they are cooked through.

Pick 6 pak choi leaves from the head and add to the chicken. Stir well to wilt and coat the leaves in pan juices. Divide the chicken and pak choi between 2 plates, spoon over the pan juices and garnish with the salad leaves. Serve immediately.

Braised pork cheeks with five spice and pak choi by Martin Wishart

Braised pork cheeks

12 pork cheeks
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves
10g of coriander seeds
1 star anise
10g of sichuan peppercorns
20g of cinnamon stick
1 bulb of garlic, halved
60ml of soy sauce
1.5l chicken stock
80g of unsalted butter, soft
50g of plain flour
2 tbsp of clear honey
50ml of vegetable oil

Pak choi

4 pak choi
100ml of sesame oil

Garnish

sesame seeds, toasted

To begin, place a large pan over a medium heat. Once hot, add the oil, season the cheeks and add to the pan. Cook all over until golden brown, then remove and set aside.

Reduce the heat and add the onion, cooking until soft and translucent. Add the spices, garlic bulb, soy sauce and stock to the pan and bring to the boil. Pour everything into a pressure cooker with the browned pork cheeks.

Seal the pressure cooker and cook over a medium-high heat for 45 minutes. After this time, remove from the heat and allow to depressurise for 15–20 minutes. Remove the lid from the pressure and check that the cheeks are nice and tender – they should still hold their shape but easily fall apart once cut.

Transfer the cooking liquid to a clean pan and reduce until you are left with 800ml of liquid. Pass through a fine sieve into a clean pan to remove the spices. Place the liquid over a medium heat and bring to a simmer. Combine the butter and flour in a small bowl to form a smooth paste, then whisk the paste into the hot stock, a small piece at a time, until the sauce is nice and thick.

Taste for seasoning, add the honey and a pinch of salt if needed. Heat the sesame oil in a sauté pan over a high heat. Separate the pak choi stems and add to the pan, frying briefly until wilted but still keeping some crunch. Transfer the pak choi to a serving platter and place the cheeks in the middle. Serve immediately with a garnish of toasted sesame seeds.

Thai-style haddock en papillote by Shaun Rankin

225g of haddock fillet, skinned and de-boned
2 lemongrass stalks
2 tsp root ginger
2 red chillies
1 pak choi
2 shallots, trimmed and sliced
2 kaffir lime leaves
2 tsp green peppercorns
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp coriander, chopped
2 tsp sesame oil
45ml of rice wine vinegar
30g of unsalted butter

Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4. Bruise the lemongrass stalks to release the flavour. Peel and slice the ginger. Remove the seeds from the chillis and chop them finely. Wash the pak choi and separate out the leaves. Trim and chop the shallots. In a large bowl, combine the lemongrass stalks with the lime leaves, chilli, peppercorns, ginger, coriander seeds and leaves.

Add the shallots, pak choi, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar and 4 tbsp water to the bowl and mix together well. Cut 2 squares of foil 30cm wide. Cut 2 pieces of greaseproof paper to the same size. Place 1 square of foil on top of each piece of greaseproof paper and fold them both in half, then open out flat again.

Spread butter across the middle of each opened foil wrap. In each opened wrap, lay a haddock fillet over the crease in the middle​. Place 1 of the foil wraps with the fish on top in a bowl, so the contents will be cupped and the marinade won’t run out once added.

Pour half the marinade over and around the fillet, then crimp the edges together to make a sealed bag with the fish and liquid inside. Repeat the process with the second bag of haddock fillet. Carefully place the bags on a baking tray and place in the oven for 10 minutes – the bags will puff right up and the fish will steam. Keep the bags sealed until you are ready to serve. Place the parcels on plates and open the wraps just before serving.

Recipes and guide courtesy of Great British Chefs. Visit their site for more delicious pak choi recipes