Neil Perry's salt and pepper squid and braised duck recipes from his new Cantonese restaurant Jade Temple

​These two simple dishes focus on the quality of the ingredients and easy cooking methods. You can have the braise ready while you concentrate on cooking the squid. Cantonese food is produce-driven and at my soon-to-open Sydney restaurant Jade Temple we'll be serving great roast meats, dumplings and seafood as well as classic dishes such as sweet and sour pork, lemon chicken and honey prawns. They almost sound like cliches, but there's a reason they're so well-known: when cooked well with beautiful produce, they sing.

Salt and pepper squid

450g squid, peeled, cut down the centre and cut into 1cm strips

2 tbsp cornflour

4 cups vegetable oil

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 garlic clove, minced

1 small knob ginger, peeled and minced

2 spring onions, sliced into rounds

coriander to garnish

For the batter

6 tbsp plain flour

2 tbsp cornflour

½ an egg

2 tbsp baking powder

sea salt

For the spiced salt

1 tsp sea salt, ground

½ tsp white pepper powder

1. To make the spiced salt, heat a small frying pan over medium-high heat and add the salt. Stir for 30 seconds, just to warm, and remove from the heat. Transfer to a small mortar and pestle, and add the pepper to crush, mixing well.

2. Combine all the batter ingredients and half a cup of cold water in a large bowl. Dip the squid pieces in the cornflour and sprinkle with half the spiced salt, then add squid to the batter.

3. In a wok with a thermometer on the side, heat the oil to 180 degrees. Gently place the squid in the hot oil and move around with chopsticks to stop the pieces from sticking together. Fry for a couple of minutes until golden brown, remove from the oil and place on a plate with kitchen paper to drain.

4. Quickly but carefully pour the oil off into a stainless-steel container, place wok back on the heat and add two tablespoons of oil, add the garlic, ginger and spring onion and fry for a moment then add the drained squid and toss around with remaining salt. Remove from the wok to a plate and garnish with sprigs of coriander.

Serves 2-3 as part of a shared meal

Braised duck leg with chestnuts

2 duck legs, chopped into 4 pieces (thigh and drumstick)

6 dried shiitake mushrooms

2 spring onions

small knob fresh ginger, peeled and sliced

2 tbsp cooking oil

½ cup dried chestnuts, soaked and simmered for 30 minutes

2 tbsp shao hsing wine

700ml chicken stock

2 tbsp light soy sauce

2 tbsp dark soy sauce

1 tbsp castor sugar

sea salt

1 tsp sesame oil

1. Cover the dried mushrooms with boiling water, let them soak for an hour until soft, remove and discard stem and cut them into quarters.

2. Cut the whites off the spring onions and gently crush with a Chinese cleaver or knife. Cut the green parts into rings and set aside for garnish.

3. Heat the oil in a wok over a high flame. Add the ginger and spring onion and stir-fry until fragrant. Remove from the wok into a bowl, add the duck to the wok and fry until brown on all sides.

4. Add all the other ingredients, including the reserved spring onion and ginger – except the reserved spring onion greens and sesame oil. Bring liquid to the boil, then cover and simmer gently for an hour.

5. Remove the duck, mushrooms and chestnuts from the wok and place in a serving bowl. Simmer the sauce until it slightly thickens, then add sesame oil and pour over duck. Sprinkle with spring onions. Serve with boiled or fried rice and steamed greens with oyster sauce.

Serves 2-3 as part of a shared meal

Jade Temple opens at 11 Bridge Street, Sydney, on July 3.