“We’ve been taught to eat noodles during New Year because of what it symbolises: longevity. I find that people struggle to understand the basic principles of a noodle dish – they think it’s complicated because of what they’re exposed to, like ramen or chow mein that you can’t replicate at home. But there are different types of noodles. This one’s all about the sauce, and these are essential cupboard staples. If you don’t have this stuff, it’s down the road.”

Serves 1

• 1 garlic clove, very finely chopped

• ½ spring onion, green part only, thinly sliced

• Small bunch of coriander, thinly sliced

• 1 tsp chilli powder

• ½ tsp granulated sugar

• ½ tsp MSG (optional)

• 1 tsp sesame seeds

• 3 tbsp vegetable oil

• 1 tbsp smooth peanut butter

• 2 tsp light soy sauce

• 1 tsp rice vinegar

• 1 tsp sesame oil

• 1 medium egg

• 200g packet of fresh udon noodles

• 1 tbsp shop-bought fried shallots

Method

Put the garlic, spring onion, coriander, chilli powder, sugar, MSG (if using) and sesame seeds into a bowl and stir to combine. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a frying pan over a high heat for 1-2 minutes, or until almost smoking. Pour the oil over the mixture in the bowl and stir to combine. Next, add the peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar and sesame oil. Mix thoroughly and set aside.

Add the remaining oil to the frying pan and heat over a high heat for 1-2 minutes. Crack in the egg and fry for 1-2 minutes until the edges turn golden brown. Remove from the heat. Bring a saucepan of water to the boil and cook the noodles for about 3 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of cooking water to the peanut butter sauce, then drain the noodles and add to the bowl. Mix thoroughly to coat the noodles in sauce. Sprinkle over the fried shallots and top with the crispy fried egg.

“This one’s just a bit of decadence. Lunar New Year for me is a celebration of my identity. It doesn’t need to be as traditional as people think. This is one of my favourite recipes. It shows different techniques from different cultures. It could be Japanese, Thai, Chinese. Really, it’s a mix, and it’s Western, too – it could be an anglicised version of a black pepper steak. Benihana from the old days inspired the ginger sauce. There’s ketchup in there, there’s carrot, it’s a strange mix – it epitomises my upbringing.”

Serves 2

• 400g rib-eye steak

• Pinch of salt

• Few cracks of black pepper

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil

• 1 tbsp miso paste

• 1 tbsp mirin (or water)

• Small bunch of chives, thinly sliced

• 1 tbsp unsalted butter

• 20g cress

• Cooked jasmine rice

For the ginger and onion sauce

• 1 onion, roughly chopped

• 1 thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, roughly chopped

• Zest and juice of 1 lime

• 4 tbsp light soy sauce

• 5 tbsp rice vinegar

• 1 tbsp tomato ketchup

• 2 tsp granulated sugar

Method

Start by making the ginger and onion sauce. Combine all the ingredients in a food processor and blend for 45 seconds – you want it to have small chunks rather than be a smooth paste. Transfer to a bowl and set aside. Tip: the longer this sauce sits, the better the flavour.

Season the steak with the salt and pepper on both sides.

Heat a dry frying pan over a high heat for 1-2 minutes, then pour in the oil and gently add the steak. Fry for 1-2 minutes on each side for medium-rare or cook to your preference. Remove the steak and set aside on a plate or board to rest while you make the miso butter.

Combine the miso paste, mirin and chives in a bowl and whisk until combined. Put the butter into the pan you cooked the steak in and place over a medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add the miso mixture and cook for 30 seconds or until bubbling. Remove from the heat and set aside until needed.

Slice the steak into 1-2cm strips, against the grain. Pour the ginger and onion sauce onto a lipped serving plate and shake the plate to cover it with the sauce. Place the sliced steak on top, then spoon over the miso butter. Garnish with the cress and a wedge of lime, then serve with rice.

“A chicken and rice dish is something to be celebrated. If someone doesn’t like a chicken and rice dish, that’s a red flag! This is my version of a Hainanese chicken rice. It encapsulates what Asian cooking is about – it’s about the sauce, it’s about the seasoning. You don’t see it in any other culture – scorching aromatics with oil. It’s the perfect way to use herbs. This is the one dish you could eat every single day starting from the New Year and you’d be happy. It’s the most addictive, moreish sauce you’ll ever have. I want to bottle that sauce.”

Serves 2

• 1 thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger

• Small bunch of coriander

• 2 spring onions

• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

• 2 bird’s eye chillies

• 4 tbsp vegetable oil

• Juice of 1 lime

• 1 tbsp rice vinegar

• 1 tbsp sriracha

• 1 tsp granulated sugar

• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce

• 225g jasmine rice

• 340ml chicken stock

• 4 skin-on boneless chicken thighs

Cut off two thin slices of ginger and then cut them into thin matchsticks and set aside. Roughly chop the rest. Thinly slice a quarter of the coriander and set it aside, too. Cut one of the spring onions in half to separate the white and the green parts. Thinly slice the green part and set it aside with the sliced coriander.

Cut the white part of the spring onion in half lengthways, then slice it as thinly as possible into matchsticks. Roughly chop the remaining coriander. Put the spring onion matchsticks and chopped coriander into a bowl of ice-cold water.

Add half the garlic, the chillies and the chopped ginger to a mortar and pestle and bash for 1 minute until a chunky consistency. Add the reserved spring onion greens, sliced coriander and a pinch of salt.

Heat 3 tablespoons of the oil in a small frying pan over high heat for about 3 minutes until smoking, then carefully pour the hot oil into the mortar to scorch the aromatics. Add half the lime juice, the rice vinegar, sriracha, sugar and dark soy sauce. Stir well to combine.

Put the rice into a bowl and cover with cold water. Rinse the rice and then pour out the water. Repeat this twice, or until the water is clear, then drain.

Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a saucepan over medium heat, then add the remaining chopped garlic, ginger matchsticks and remaining whole spring onion and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the rice, a pinch of salt and the chicken stock. Stir once to combine, then cover, increase the heat to high and bring to the boil. As soon as the water is at a rolling boil, reduce the heat to the lowest setting. Cook for 18 minutes without removing the lid. After this time, remove the pan from the heat and set aside, covered, until you’re ready to serve.

Dab the chicken skin with kitchen paper to remove as much moisture as possible, then season with a generous pinch of salt. Place the chicken thighs into a cold frying pan, skin side down. Turn the heat to medium. Don’t touch or move the chicken – this ensures the skin stays crispy and helps to render the fat. Cook for 7 minutes, then flip and cook the other side for a further 3 minutes. Remove and set aside to rest for 5 minutes.

Slice the chicken into roughly 1cm strips, using one smooth action and the weight of the knife to keep the skin attached to the meat.

Divide the rice between plates, then top with the chicken. Generously spoon over the sauce, using the back of the spoon to spread it over evenly. Drain the water from the spring onion and coriander, add a pinch of salt and a squeeze of lime juice and mix well, then divide between the plates to finish.