Asian Mains

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken, cut into pieces (or 6-8 drumsticks or thighs
• 5 shallots, finely chopped (or regular onion is fine
• 4 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 4 dried Chinese mushrooms (pre-soak and immerse in warm water for at least 30 mins or til soft and squidgy) - use 200g chestnut mushrooms if you can't find these - thickly sliced
• 1 lap cheong, or Chinese sausage
• 4 tbsp dark soy sauce
• dash of light soy sauce
• dash of Worcester sauce
• 2 tbsp oyster sauce
• 2 tbsp five spice powder
• 500g long grain rice, washed and drained
• 240g rice stick noodles (5mm length usually)
• 120 ml fish sauce
• 120 ml tamarind water (made from concentrate and lukewarn water)
• 120g palm sugar (block is ideal but normal brown sugar is fine if you don't have it)
• 4 birdseye chillies, crushed (less if you don't like spice)
• 80ml groundnut oil
• 200g extra-firm tofu, chopped in small cubes (optional)
• 12 large prawns
• 4 medium eggs, beaten
• 50g preserved salted radish, chopped
• 200g beansprouts
• 8 stalks of Chinese chives, chopped (don't use spring onion)
• 100g roasted peanuts, roughly chopped (unsalted preferably)
• lime wedges to garnish