You will have lamb left over from this dish; it makes an awesome sandwich shredded on crusty bread the next day, or warmed on pasta or noodles. The simple white cooked chicken for the noodles is great on rice with a little light soy and chillies. Add roast peanuts for crunch and it's a simple, delicious lunch. Serve with some steamed rice and stir-fried water spinach with garlic and this is a feast for a lazy Sunday afternoon. The master stock can be also reused – just strain and freeze, then boil for another use, adding a little water.
Shredded red-braised lamb shoulder
Serves 4 as part of a shared meal
1kg lamb shoulder on the bone, trimmed of excess fat
Chinese master stock
250ml shaoxing wine
3 cloves garlic
1 knob ginger, peeled and sliced
3 tbsp soy sauce
4 star anise
3 cinnamon sticks
1 small dried red chilli
3 tbsp crushed yellow rock sugar
Dressing
1½ tbsp peanut oil
1 tsp sesame oil
60ml Chinese master stock
1½ tsp white sugar
1 tsp rice wine vinegar
3 spring onions, finely sliced
2 tbsp pickled chillies (plus extra to serve)
1. Place stock ingredients and 2 litres of water in a heavy saucepan, just large enough to fit the lamb shoulder, and bring to the boil. Add the lamb then reduce heat to a simmer, partially cover with a lid to slow evaporation, and braise the lamb slowly for 2 hours, until soft and falling apart.
2. Remove from the heat and leave to cool to room temperature in the braising liquid, then transfer to a refrigerator. When the stock is cold, remove solidified fat from the surface and discard, then take the lamb out of the stock, shred the meat and refrigerate.
3. For the dressing, combine all the ingredients in a bowl.
4. Remove lamb from the fridge and warm gently in a saucepan with the stock that is clinging to it.
5. To serve, place the shredded lamb on a serving plate and pour the dressing over the top, then top with extra chillies, if desired.
Wine Match: Hewitson Miss Harry GSM 2015, Barossa Valley, SA $25 Cherries, spice and herbs burst from this grenache, syrah, mourvèdre blend. The palate is fresh and juicy, with lashings of forest fruits, dried herbs and a touch of creamy complexity. The fine tannins and integrated acid make the wine a perfect foil for the spicy lamb, while the fruit flavours cut through the chillies.
Chicken and noodle salad
Serves 4 as part of a shared meal
Chicken and udon noodle salad with chilli and Sichuan pepper. Photo: William Meppem
2 free-range chicken breasts, about 500g total weight
200g udon noodles
½ cup coriander leaves
1 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
Chilli pepper dressing
1 tbsp peanut oil
1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns, plus extra to serve
4 dried long red chillies
1 tsp finely chopped garlic
1 tsp finely chopped ginger
1 tbsp chilli bean paste
1 tbsp sweet bean paste
2 tsp Shaoxing wine
100ml chicken stock
1 tsp dark soy sauce
1. For the chilli pepper dressing, place a wok over high heat and add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the Sichuan peppercorns and chillies and stir-fry until fragrant. Add the garlic, ginger, chilli bean paste and sweet bean paste and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Pour in the rest of the ingredients, stirring to combine and deglaze the wok. Remove from the heat and allow to come to room temperature.
2. Bring 1 litre of salted water to the boil, place the chicken breasts in the boiling water, simmer for 1 minute and then cover and remove pot from the heat and allow the chicken to cool in the water. Remove the chicken once the water is cool and pat dry – it should be moist and cooked through. Shred chicken.
3. Bring another pot of salted water to the boil, cook the udon noodles until they are just al dente, around 5 minutes, and refresh in iced water.
4. In a bowl, toss the noodles in half the dressing and put in a large bowl. Place shredded chicken on top, pour the rest of the dressing over, sprinkle with coriander and sesame seeds.
Tip: chilli and sweet bean pastes can be found in Chinese food stores (look for the Fu Chi brand for the latter), as can pickled chillies.