Wok magic: Neil Perry's dinners in a flash

STIR-FRIED PORK WITH HOT BEAN PASTE

4 tbsp peanut oil

300g pork fillet, thinly sliced

100g snow peas, trimmed

1 small knob of ginger, peeled and finely chopped

8 cloves garlic, finely chopped

3 tbsp hot bean paste

1 tbsp Shaoxing wine

1 tbsp yellow bean soy sauce

1 tbsp Chinkiang black vinegar

1 tsp sugar

3 tbsp chicken stock

freshly ground white pepper

2 spring onions, finely chopped

1 small handful of coriander leaves

Serves 4

Heat a wok over high heat until smoking. Add half the peanut oil and, when hot, stir-fry the pork in two batches till just coloured and almost cooked through. Remove the pork from the wok, set aside and wipe the wok clean.

Reheat the wok with another tablespoon of oil and stir-fry the snow peas until just tender; remove them from the wok also.

Heat the last tablespoon of oil in the wok and stir-fry the ginger, garlic and hot bean paste until fragrant. Deglaze the wok with the Shaoxing wine, then add the soy sauce, vinegar, sugar and stock and simmer for 2 minutes. Return the pork and snow peas to the wok and toss together.

Spoon into a bowl, season to taste with white pepper, and sprinkle with spring onions and coriander to serve.

STIR-FRIED SCALLOPS WITH BEAN SPROUTS

3 tbsp peanut oil

1/4 knob of ginger, peeled and finely sliced

2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

1 red capsicum, julienned

2 spring onions, finely sliced

12 sea scallops, shelled and cleaned

1 tbsp Shaoxing wine

2 tbsp light mushroom soy sauce

2 tbsp plum sauce

3 tsp sugar

100ml chicken stock

200g bean sprouts, trimmed

Serves 4

Heat the oil in a wok over high heat until just smoking. Add the ginger, garlic, capsicum, spring onions and scallops and stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove scallops from the wok.

Deglaze the wok with the Shaoxing wine, then add the soy sauce, plum sauce, sugar and chicken stock. Bring to the boil.

Return the scallops to the wok, add the bean sprouts and mix together. Stir-fry for 30 seconds to heat through. Spoon onto a large plate and serve.

HOT TIPS

• Serve these two dishes together banquet-style - simply add jasmine rice and a serve of steamed Asian greens with oyster sauce. Finish with fresh summer fruit with coconut ice-cream.

• The scallops dish works well with any protein, from chicken to beef to pork and all manner of seafood. For a special treat, try lobster meat and blow your guests away.

• Feel free to add your favourite vegies - snow peas, baby corn, mushrooms - to the scallops recipe.

SOMETHING TO DRINK

Champagne
An expressive house style from Mareuil-Sur-Ay in the Marne Valley, Philipponnat Royale Réserve NV ($53) offers a fine balance between subtle citrus, stone fruit and slight brioche creaminess on the palate.

Photography by William Meppem. Styling by Hannah Meppem. Food preparation by Kirsten Jenkins.