19 February is Chinese New Year. Mark the occasion with a feast of recipes from super-chef Ken Hom OBE. Hom has published over 80 books worldwide, hosted a number of TV shows as well as cooking for some of the world’s most famous faces. He spoke to Motherland about growing up in a “Chinese bubble”, learning to cook, and how to serve multiple courses without working up a sweat …

Where did you grow up?
I was born in Tuscon, Arizona, and left after my father’s death when I was eight months old. We then lived in San Diego until I was five, before moving to Chicago. Growing up in Chicago was strange because I felt like I was on a Chinese island (Chinatown) in the midst of Planet America. We spoke Cantonese, ate Chinese food and went to Chinese cinema. So I grew up in a Chinese bubble. My mother never spoke English.

What would be a typical family meal in your house?
We often had fish as it was quite inexpensive at the time. Sometimes we had pork dishes, steamed mostly. However, we always had a seasonal vegetable dish that was quickly stir-fried and, of course, rice.

How did you fall in love with cooking?
My uncle Paul, who I went to work for at the age of 11, taught me not only how to cook but to love all aspects of Chinese food. My uncle was passionate about food and he passed this on.

What is your favourite meal when entertaining guests?
A simple meal. Usually I begin with a starter, of either prawns or fish. We then move on to my favourite, duck – either roasted (Peking style) or crispy duck. This would be accompanied with a vegetable dish and dessert would be most of the time, fresh fruit of the season. The meal would be amply supplemented by lots of wine!

What is the key to cooking Chinese food?
Keep it simple. Don’t do more than one or two stir-fried dishes, there are many braised and steamed dishes that can be made ahead of time and reheated. This is how Chinese cook in China, and why they are able to put on multi-courses on the table without a sweat!

Crispy Aromatic Duck (Serves 4 – 6)
Preparation time: 15 minutes plus 2 hours’ cooking
Cooking time: 2 ½ hours

Ingredients
1 x 2.75 kg (6lb) duck fresh or frozen
6 slices of fresh root ginger
6 spring onions cut in to 7.5 (3 in) length
cornflour, plain flour or potato flour for dusting
1.2 litres (2 pints) groundnut oil

For the spice rub
2 tablespoons five-spice powder
765 g (2 ½ oz) Sichuan peppercorns
25 g (1 oz) whole black peppercorns
3 tablespoons cumin seeds
200 g (7 oz) rock salt

To serve
Chinese pancakes
6 spring onions, finely shredded
Hoisin sauce

If the duck is frozen, thaw it thoroughly, rinse well and blot it completely dry with kitchen paper.

Mix all the ingredients for the spice rub together in a small bowl, then rub the duck inside and out with this mixture, applying it evenly.

Wrap well in cling film and place in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

After this time, brush any excess spices from the duck. Stuff the ginger and spring onions into the cavity and put the duck on a heatproof plate.

Set up a steamer or put a rack into a wok. Fill it with 5 cm (2 in) of water and bring to the boil. Lower the duck and plate into the steamer and cover tightly.

Steam gently for 2 hours, pouring off excess fat from time to time. Add more water as necessary.

Remove the duck from the steamer and pour off all the liquid. Discard the ginger and spring onions. Leave the duck in a cool place for 2 hours or until it has dried and cooled. At this point the duck can be refrigerated.

Just before you are ready to serve it, cut the duck into quarters and dust with cornflour, or plain four or potato flour, shaking off the excess.

Heat the oil in a wok or deep fat fryer. When it is almost smoking, deep-fry the duck quarters in two batches. Fry the breasts for about 8-10 minutes and the thighs and legs for about 12-15 minutes until each quarter is crisp and heated completely through.

Drain the duck on kitchen paper and leave until cool enough to handle. Then remove the meat from the bones and shred it. You can do this easily with a fork. The Chinese eat it with bones and all.

Serve with the Chinese pancakes, spring onions and hoisin sauce.

Fish in Hot Sauce (Serves 4)
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes

Ingredients
450g (1lb) fresh firm white fish fillets, such as cod, sea bass or halibut
Cornflour, for dusting
3 spring onions
150ml (5fl oz) groundnut or vegetable oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger

For the sauce:
150ml (5fl oz) Chicken Stock
2 teaspoons whole yellow bean sauce
1 tablespoon chilli bean sauce
2 tablespoons Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry
2 teaspoons dark soy sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
Salt and white pepper

To serve
Sprinkle the fish fillets evenly on both sides with 1 teaspoon of salt. Cut the fish into strips 5cm (2in) wide and let them sit for 20 minutes.

Then dust them with the cornflour.

Cut the spring onions into 5cm (2 in) diagonal slices. Heat a wok or a large frying pan over a high heat until it is hot. Add the oil, and when it is very hot and slightly smoking, turn the heat down.

Fry the fillets on both sides until they are partially cooked. Then remove and drain the fish on kitchen paper.

Pour off most of the oil, leaving about 1 tablespoon in the pan.

Reheat the wok or pan and add the spring onions, garlic, and ginger. Stir-fry them for 30 seconds, then add the sauce ingredients and season with about ½ teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of white pepper.

Bring the mixture to the boil.

Turn the heat down to a simmer and return the fish to the pan. Simmer for about 2 minutes, then turn the fish and sauce on to a platter and serve.

Chicken Chow Mein (Serves 4)
Preparation time: 10 minutes

Plus 10 minutes marinating

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients
225 g (8 oz) dried or fresh egg noodles
4 tablespoons sesame oil
5 dried red chillis
100 g (4 oz) boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into fine shred 5 cm (2 in) long
2 ½ tablespoons groundnut oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
50 g (2 oz) mange tout, finely shredded
50 g (2 oz) Parma ham, or cooked ham, finely shredded
2 teaspoons light soy sauce
2 teaspoon dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry
1 teaspoon salt
½  teaspoons freshly ground white pepper
½ teaspoon sugar
3 tablespoons finely chopped spring onions

For the marinade
2 teaspoons light soy sauce
2 teaspoons Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry
1 teaspoon sesame oil
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper

Method
Cook the noodles in a large pan of boiling water 3 -5 minutes, then drain and plunge them into cold water. Drain thoroughly, toss them with three teaspoons of the sesame oil and set aside.

Combine the chicken shreds with all the marinade ingredients, mix well and then leave to marinate for about 10 minutes.

Heat a wok over a high heat. Add one tablespoon of the groundnut oil and, when it is very hot and slightly smoking, add the chicken shreds. Stir-fry for about 2 minutes and then transfer to a plate. Wipe the wok clean.

Reheat the wok until it is very hot, and then add the remaining groundnut oil. When the oil is slightly smoking, add the garlic and stir fry for10 seconds. Then add the mangetout and ham and stir fry for about 1 minute.

Add the noodles, soy sauces, rice wine or sherry, salt, pepper, sugar and spring onions. Stir fry for 2 minutes.

Return the chicken and any juices to the noodle mixture. Stir fry for about 3-4 minutes or until the chicken is cooked.

Add the remaining sesame oil and give the mixture a few final stirs. Turn it on to a warm platter and serve at once.

Ken Hom’s range of chilled ready meals are available from Tesco. To download Ken Hom’s Chinese New Year 2015 booklet, visit kenhom.co.uk