#34: Recipes From My Mum's Kitchen

Mapo tofu, air fryer ribs, and drunken chicken.

My parents are in town, and while I love bringing them to my favourite restaurants, the quiet joy of a home cooked meal is unparalleled.

Having enjoyed several butter and cream-laden meals out since their arrival (our dinner on their first night here was hot pot, which speaks volumes) and ahead of Saturday’s flight to Madrid, we’ve all been keen for gentler fare. We craved broth, and chillis, and starch-thickened sauciness over plump white rice. Asian food, essentially.

Somehow my mum and dad have managed to seamlessly replicate their Hong Kong routine in London: my dad has transplanted his hobby of nosying around the wet market to the fishmonger’s at Waitrose, and my mum makes the most of a somewhat limited Chinese pantry to feed us. I arrive dishevelled hungry and leave intoxicated and glutted, often with a tupperware of tomorrow’s lunch.

On Wednesday night, my mum whipped up a meal for four, soundtracked by ballads from her ‘Canton Classics’ playlist. After tasting the first dish, my friend Agnes requested the recipe — before asking for the second, and then the third. I thought it’d be rude not to share, so below are three carnivorous crowdpleasers. Delicious at dinner parties; breezy enough for a restorative weeknight meal.

As is the Asian Mother’s Way, we’re not working with many exact quantities; this means the recipes are forgiving.

Rebecca’s Mapo Tofu