Ingredients
| FOR THE MASTERSTOCK (THE BRAISING LIQUOR FOR CARROTS) | |
| 1 teaspoon canola oil | |
| 2 cloves garlic, bashed with the back of a knife | |
| 1 spring onion, bashed with the back of a knife | |
| 1-inch knob of ginger, bashed with the back of a knife | |
| 1 dried chilli | |
| 100g rock sugar, roughly chopped | |
| 1 teaspoon five-spice powder | |
| 2 litres water | |
| 150ml light soy sauce | |
| 50ml dark soy sauce | |
| 4 large juicing carrots | |
| peel of 1 mandarin | |
| FOR THE CHAR SIU SAUCE (GLAZE FOR CARROTS) | |
| 1 cube fermented red tofu (this can be found in most Chinese grocery stores) | |
| 1 clove garlic, grated | |
| 2 tablespoons soft brown sugar | |
| ½ teaspoon five-spice powder | |
| ½ cup masterstock syrup | |
| 2 tablespoons oyster sauce | |
| 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce | |
| 2 tablespoons Shaoxing rice wine | |
| 2 tablespoons honey | |
| LAST NIGHT’S RICE CONGEE | |
| 6 cups vegetable stock | |
| 1-inch knob of ginger | |
| 1 teaspoon sea salt | |
| 1 teaspoon ground white pepper | |
| 1 cup cooked rice (I like using jasmine for the fragrance) | |
| 1 teaspoon soy sauce | |
| couple of drops sesame oil | |
| 1 spring onion, finely sliced |
Instructions
| 1. | MASTERSTOCK (THE BRAISING LIQUOR FOR CARROTS) |
| 2. | Add the oil to a stock pot and set the heat to medium high. |
| 3. | Fry the garlic, spring onion, ginger and chilli (I call these aromats) and cook until fragrant and lightly golden. |
| 4. | Turn the heat down to low, add the sugar and five-spice powder and stir well. Keep your eyes on the sugar; you want it to melt down and become a light caramel. |
| 5. | Turn the heat up to high and deglaze the pan by adding the water and both soy sauces and letting it bubble up, scraping the base of the pan with a wooden spoon. |
| 6. | Bring to a rolling boil, then drop in the carrots and mandarin peel. |
| 7. | Bring back to a boil then turn the heat down to a simmer. Simmer the carrots for at least 45 minutes or until tender. |
| 8. | Using a slotted spoon remove and discard the aromats but keep the carrots, setting them aside to cool in the fridge. |
| 9. | Bring the stock back to a boil and reduce the stock until it becomes syrupy. |
| 10. | Set aside until later. |
| 11. | FOR THE CARROTS AND CHAR SIU SAUCE |
| 12. | Heat the oven to 200°C and line an oven tray with baking paper. |
| 13. | Remove the carrots from the fridge, cut down the middle lengthwise then place cut side down on the lined tray. |
| 14. | To make the char siu sauce, put the fermented red tofu, garlic, sugar, five-spice powder, some salt and white pepper into a bowl. Mash into a paste. |
| 15. | Add all the remaining ingredients and whisk until smooth. |
| 16. | Using a pastry brush, smother the carrots with char siu sauce. |
| 17. | Put in the oven for 10 minutes, remove and brush over the sauce again and cook for another 10 minutes. By now the carrots should be sticky and beautifully chewy. |
| 18. | Cut into bite-sized pieces. |
| 19. | LAST NIGHT’S RICE CONGEE |
| 20. | Put the stock, ginger, salt and pepper in a saucepan and bring to the boil (or you can do this in a slow cooker or rice cooker). |
| 21. | Once at a rolling boil add the rice, stir well and turn the heat down to the lowest setting. |
| 22. | Simmer the rice until it’s a soft porridge-like consistency, about 15 minutes, remove the ginger and discard then add the soy and sesame oil. |
| 23. | Sprinkle over the spring onions and top with the chopped carrots. |
Recipes & food styling Jamie Robert Johnston / Photography Josh Griggs
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