Week 2 Term 2 -2 April 2026

Why methods?

We teach techniques, not recipes – because techniques are the building blocks of great cooking.  All our chefs are either trade qualified or Le Cordon Bleu trained, and we teach the way we were taught – using a ‘see it, do it’ model.  This means that for most classes our chef instructors use ‘running demos’ where they show you the skill and then you copy it – with assistance from your instructor as needed.   And in our express classes you will cook at the same time as the chef, following their lead.   We will give you an ingredients list and a method for each class, but you do not have to use it.

Our chefs will explain patiently and walk you through each class.   And if your dish doesn’t work out, that is OK – we run most classes 3 or 4 times a week so you can always come and try again!  Failure is part of learning.

Use these methods below to practice at home.

Dumplings – chicken and garlic chive (v – mushroom and garlic chive)

  •  1 x 650ml container
  • 1 x 100ml container

Equipment

  • Cutting board stabilised with paper towel
  • Chef’s knife
  • Cooktop
  • Frypan with a lid that is a little smaller than the pan
  • Spoon
  • Bowl
  • Small bowl half filled with water
  • Clean tea towel
  • Baking sheet lined with baking paper
  • Microplane/grater
  • Spatula
  • Small container for mixing dipping sauce

Ingredients

  • 10 dumpling wrappers

Filling

  • 100g chicken mince (v – 50g mushroom, 100g eggplant, 1 tsp miso paste, ½ carrot)
  • Fat pinch white pepper
  • ½ tsp soy sauce
  • ½ clove garlic
  • Small piece (1cm x 2cm) ginger
  • 10 garlic chives
  • ½ tsp Shaoxing wine (Chinese cooking wine)
  • ½ tsp sugar
  • ¼ tsp corn starch
  • Pinch baking soda
  • 2 tbsp neutral vegetable oil

Dipping sauce

  • 3 parts oil (vegetable, chilli, or sesame)
  • 3 parts soy (light)
  • 1 part vinegar (rice wine, dark or flavoured)
  • 1 part sugar
  • Salt and pepper

Method

  1. Get all ingredients and equipment.
  2. Prepare vegetables:
    a. Grate garlic into bowl.
    b. Grate ginger into bowl
    c. Finely chop chives and add to bowl.
    d. (v – very finely dice carrot and mushroom, peel eggplant and cut it into strips)
  3. Make filling:
    a. Add to bowl:
    i. 100g chicken mince
    ii. Fat pinch white pepper
    iii. ½ tsp soy sauce
    iv. ½ tsp Shaoxing wine (Chinese cooking wine)
    v. ½ tsp sugar
    vi. ¼ tsp corn starch
    vii. Pinch baking soda
    viii. (v – steam eggplant, fry very finely diced carrot and mushroom until no more liquid is coming out of mushroom, add steamed eggplant and mash in, season to taste, cool completely, add miso paste, sugar, soy sauce and wine, add pepper, soy sauce, sugar, wine and corn starch and corn starch)
    b. Stir vigorously in one direction until the mixture feels tacky.
    c. Spread around edges of bowl, cover and refrigerate while you make the dipping sauce.
  1. Make dipping sauce – mix the following in a small container:
    a. 3 tsp oil
    b. 3 tsp soy
    c. 1 tsp vinegar
    d. 1 tsp sugar
  2. Make dumplings:
    a. Smear 2 tsp (10g) of filling into centre of wrapper (don’t place it like a ball – spread in a disc shaped layer)
    b. Moisten edges of wrapper with water, using the tip of your index finger.
    c. Fold in half and pinch the bottom right corner closed.
    d. Pleat the front edge repeatedly, pinching the edge closed after each pleat and squeezing out air as you go until the whole dumpling is sealed. Use the ring and pinky finger of your non-dominant hand to support the far end of the dumpling.
    e. Place on the lined baking tray and if necessary adjust the shape so the bottom lies flat.
  3. Cook (pan fry method):
    a. Heat oil in frypan.
    b. Add dumplings, leaving room between them.
    c. Fry until bottom is crispy, shaking constantly.
    d. Add about 100ml water to the pan, all at once, and cover immediately.
    e. Turn up heat and steam for a few minutes.
    f. Remove lid and keep cooking until water has evaporated.
    g. Continue to cook until bottoms are extra crisp.
  4. Plate (or into container):
    a. Invert onto a plate.
    b. Serve with dipping sauce
  5. Clean down, including sweeping floor, wiping and sanitising cooktop and benches, washing and drying up, and cleaning and sanitising knives.

This makes about 5 serves of chilli oil, so you will have some to take home.  Both recipes are based on Made With Lau recipes – which are always excellent.

  • 1 x 350ml container
  • 1 x 150ml container

Equipment

  • Cutting board with paper towel under it
  • Knife
  • Cooktop
  • Large deep saucepan with a lid
  • Small ceramic bowl (to invert when steaming custard)
  • Medium ceramic bowl (for custard)
  • Jug (for whisking egg)
  • Whisk or fork
  • Thermometer

Ingredients

Crispy chilli oil

  • 50g chilli flakes
  • 3 tsp chicken bouillon powder
  • 1 tsp sweet (not smoked) paprika
  • Fat pinch salt
  • ½ star anise, soaked in water
  • 160ml neutral vegetable oil plus 20ml neutral vegetable oil
  • 2 tsp sesame oil
  • 2 tsp sesame seeds
  • 1 tbsp crispy shallots

Egg Custard

  • 1 egg
  • 100ml warm water
  • ½ green onion
  • Fat pinch salt
  • Fat pinch chicken bouillon powder
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • Salt and pepper

Method

  1. Get all ingredients and equipment.
  2. Make crispy chilli oil –
    • Into a saucepan, place:
      i. 50g chilli flakes
      ii. 3 tsp chicken bouillon powder
      iii. 1 tsp sweet (not smoked) paprika
      iv. Fat pinch salt
      v. 20ml neutral vegetable oil
  • Peel and slice:
    i. 25g ginger
    ii. 1 shallot
    iii. 4 cloves garlic
  • Heat most of the remaining oil in wok (reserve 2 tbsp) so that it bubbles around a piece of shallot (150C). Lower heat to about 400 so oil remains at 150C but does not get any higher.
  • Add sliced ginger and fry for 10 seconds.
  • Add garlic.
  • Immediately add shallots.
  • Fry for around 20 seconds.
  • Break in star anise and fry until ingredients are browned.
  • Turn heat off.
  • Scoop out solid pieces and set aside.
  • Reheat oil to 150C.
  • Pour 1/3 over chilli mix in saucepan and stir.
  • Pour a further 1/3 of the oil
  • Add 1 tsp sesame seeds and 1 tsp sesame oil.
  • Pour over remaining hot oil.
  • Add crispy shallots.
  • Set aside to cool.
  • Wash out saucepan.
  1. Make egg custard:
    • Slice green onion on the diagonal
    • Put inverted bowl in the wok. Top with the bowl you are using for the custard.
    • Pour in hot water so the bowl is about 1/3 submerged.
    • Remove custard bowl.
    • Cover with lid and bring water to boil.
    • Whisk eggs, salt, chicken bouillon and sesame oil in the jug.
    • Add half of the warm water to the jug (about 40 C) and whisk.
    • Add remaining half and whisk again. There should be some bubbly foam on top of the egg mix.
    • Put the custard bowl back into the saucepan.
    • Pour egg mix very gently into the bowl.
    • Replace lid.
    • Heat until water starts to boil, then lower heat to a simmer and cook for about 5 to 8 minutes. When shaken, the egg in the bowl should shake like set jelly.
  2. Plate (or into container): Add sliced green onions and a fat pinch of white pepper.  Top with chilli oil.
  3. Clean down, including sweeping floor, wiping and sanitising cooktop and benches, washing and drying up, and cleaning and sanitising knives.
  • 1 x 650ml container 

Equipment

  • Cutting board with paper towel under it
  • Knife
  • Spatula/spoon
  • Tongs
  • Small saucepan
  • Wok or deep saucepan, with fitted lid
  • Plate for steaming
  • Bowl or steaming rack
  • Teaspoon
  • Microplane
  • Small container or dariole mould

 Ingredients

  • 120 to 140g fillet barramundi (v – 2 large oyster or similar mushrooms, 2 stems bok choy or other greens)
  • ¼ carrot
  • 2 x 3 cm knob of ginger
  • 3 to 4 stalks of green onion
  • 3 sprigs coriander
  • ¼ small red chilli
  • 3 tsp soy sauce
  • 3 tsp hot water
  • Fat pinch sugar
  • Fat pinch salt
  • 3 tsp neutral vegetable oil
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 cup rice (chef to provide)
  • Salt and pepper

 Method 

  1. Get all ingredients and equipment.
  2. Prepare vegetables:
    a. Very finely chop the white part of the green onion.
    b. Slice the green part of the green onion on the diagonal.
    c. Peel ginger (use a teaspoon) and grate ginger using the microplane.
    d. Roughly chop coriander
    e. Julienne carrot
    f. (v – thinly slice onion and quarter bok choy)
  3. Put steamer rack or plate into bottom of wok, add 3 cm water. Bring to boil.
  4. Make sauce base: Add the following to small container/dariole:
    a. 3 tsp soy sauce
    b. 3 tsp hot water
    c. Fat pinch sugar
    d. Fat pinch salt
  5. Place fish (v – vegies) onto plate, cover with carrot and put in steamer.  Cover and steam for 5 minutes, then check for doneness.  If the fillet does not flake easily at its thickest point, give it another minute or two (v – cook until soft).
  6. While fish (v – vegies) is cooking, finish sauce:
    a. Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil.
    b. Fry 2/3rds of the ginger for 30 seconds.
    c. Add 2/3rds of the white parts of green onions and fry for 20 seconds.
    d. Add 2/3rds of the green parts of green onion and 2/3rds of the chopped
    e. Add soy sauce mixture.
    f. Set aside.
  7. When fish (v – vegies) is cooked, put remaining ginger, spring onion and coriander on top of the fish and carrot. Pour over the hot sauce.
  8. Plate (or into container) – rice, topped with fish (v – vegies) and sauce poured over.
  9. Clean down, including sweeping floor, wiping and sanitising cooktop and benches, washing and drying up, and cleaning and sanitising knives.

This is a formula, not a recipe.  The main goal is for separate grains (not sticky, clumpy grains) of lightly seasoned rice.  No lap cheung?  Use leftover roasted chicken.  Lonely greens in the vegie draw?  Throw them in.  Leftover short grain or basmati rice?  Use it instead of jasmine – the best rice is whatever needs to be used up. 

  •  1 x 650ml container

Equipment

  • Cutting board with paper towel under it
  • Knife
  • Cooktop
  • Wok
  • Wok shovel or spatula
  • Bowl
  • Dariole mould/small container
  • Fork

Ingredients

  • 1.5 cups cooked cold jasmine rice
  • 1.5 tbsp neutral vegetable oil
  • 1 egg
  • 1 lap Cheung sausage (Chinese sausage, available at Coles/Woolies) ( v – 1 tbsp fermented soybeans)
  • ½ onion
  • ½ carrot
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 40g chopped leafy greens (eg bok choy) or frozen peas
  • 1 green onion/scallion
  • 1 scant teaspoon light soy sauce
  • 1 scant teaspoon roasted sesame oilds
  • Salt and pepper
  • ¼ cup water (for cooking wok if necessary)

Method 

  1. Get all ingredients and equipment.
  2. Break up the rice so the grains are separate.
  3. Prepare vegetables:
    a. Thinly slice onion (stir fry cut)
    b. Thinly slice green onion on the diagonal
    c. Mince garlic
    d. Thinly slice greens, if using
    e. Finely dice carrot
  4. Prepare lap Cheung 9v – soybeans):\
    a. Cut into 5mm slices
    b. Fry gently in a little oil
    c. Set aside in bowl.
    d. (v – put fermented soybeans in bowl)
  5. Prepare egg:
    a. Whisk with fork into container/dariole.
    b. Season with a pinch of salt and a pinch of white pepper.
    c. Heat wok until smoking a little.
    d. Add half the oil and swirl to coat.
    e. Add egg and cook for about 30 seconds until buffy and golden brown at the edges.
    f. Put into bowl with lap Cheung (v – fermented soybeans).
  6. Cook vegetables:
    a. Return wok to light smoking point.
    b. Add onion, carrot and any woody stems of greens and toss constantly until onion is starting to become translucent(do not burn, add a little water and turn down heat if wok gets too hot).
    c. Put into bowl with egg and lap Cheung (v – fermented soybeans).
  7. Cook rice:
    a. Reheat wok until lightly smoking.
    b. Add remaining oil.
    c. Add rice and cook until rice is pale brown and toasted (will take about 3 minutes).
    d. Add green onion and garlic and leafy part of greens, if using, and stirfry for about 30 seconds (do not burn, add a little water and turn down heat if wok gets too hot).
    e. Return vegetables, egg and lap Cheung (v – fermented soybeans) to wok and toss.
    f. Add soy sauce, sesame oil and peas (if using).
    g. Check for seasoning.
  8. Plate (or into container).
  9. Clean down, including sweeping floor, wiping and sanitising cooktop and benches, washing and drying up, and cleaning and sanitising knives.
  • 1 large square or rectangular container with a lid

Equipment

  • Cooktop
  • Frypan
  • Small saucepan
  • Spatula
  • Small bowl
  • Plastic wrap
  • Rolling pin
  • Baking tray lined with baking paper
  • Microplane/grater
  • Pastry brush

Ingredients

 Pastry:

  • 75g plain flour
  • 60g unsalted butter, cold
  • Fat pinch salt
  • 2 tbsp iced water

Filling:

  • 1 leek (white and light green parts only)
  • 10g butter
  • 30g cream, crème fraiche or sour cream
  • 25g gruyere cheese
  • ½ tsp fresh thyme
  • ½ egg
  • 2 tsp Djion mustard
  • Salt and pepper

Method 

  1. Preheat oven to 200C.
  2. Get all ingredients and equipment.
  3. Make pastry (rub method):
    a. Cube butter into 1 cm cubes.
    b. Rub into flour and salt.
    c. Add iced water ½ tbsp at a time until dough holds together.
    d. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes.
  4. Make filling:
    a. Wash leeks.
    b. Slice very thinly.
    c. Melt butter over medium low heat.
    d. Add leeks and thyme.
    e. Cook for about 15 minutes until soft – do not brown.
    f. Stir in cream.
    g. Season and remove from heat to cool a little.
  5. Assemble and glaze:
    a. Roll chilled dough to approx. 15cm circle and put on lined baking tray.
    b. Spread with Dijon mustard, leaving a 3cm border.
    c. Spread leek mixture over, leaving a 3cm border.
    d. Grate cheese over.
    e. Fold the edges up and over the filling, pleating as you go to create a freeform rim.
    f. Brush with beaten egg.
  6. Bake:
    a. Bake 20 minutes or until pastry is golden and filling is bubbling.
    b. Set aside to cool a little.
  7. Clean down, including sweeping floor, wiping and sanitising cooktop and benches, washing and drying up, and cleaning and sanitising knives.
  • 1 x 650ml container

Equipment

  • Cutting board with paper towel under it
  • Knife
  • Cooktop
  • Small saucepan
  • Whisk
  • Small bowl
  • Tongs
  • Offset spatula
  • Baking tray lined with baking paper
  • 1 sheet of foil small (15cm x 15cm)
  • 1 sheet of baking paper small (20cm x 20cm)

Ingredients

  • 120-150g barramundi fillet
  • 3 slices prosciutto
  • 100g cherry tomatoes
  • 1 sprig thyme
  • 1 large potato (waxy variety)
  • Handful of green beans
  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter
  • ½ tsp chopped capers
  • ½ lemon juiced
  • Small handful parsley
  • EVOO
  • Salt and pepper

 Method

  1. Preheat oven to 200.
  2. Get all ingredients and equipment.
  3. Cook potato:
    a. Quarter potato.
    b. Boil potato in salted water until soft
    c. Place on baking tray with 3 tbsp vegetable oil.
    d. Roast for 40 minutes until bottom is glassy.
  4. Cook beans:
    a. Top and tail.
    b. Boil in salted water until done.
    c. Set aside in bowl.
    d. Rinse saucepan.
  5. Make lemon caper sauce:
    a. Melt butter in saucepan.
    b. Finely chop capers and add to butter.
    c. Squeeze in lemon juice.
  6. Prepare fish:
    a. Make a ‘boat’ by shaping foil and lining with baking paper.
    b. Season with pepper only.
    c. Wrap prosciutto slices around fish, tucking under fish.
    d. Place tomatoes next to fish.
    e. Drizzle with EVOO.
  7. When potatoes have been in oven for 40 minutes, add fish to tray and cook for 10 minutes until fish is opaque.
  8. Reheat sauce and beans:
    a. Reheat
    b. Swirl to emulsify.
    c. Add parsley.
  9. Plate (or into container):
    a. Place potato.
    b. Place beans.
    c. Top with fish and tomatoes.
    d. Pour over sauce.
  10. Clean down, including sweeping floor, wiping and sanitising cooktop and benches, washing and drying up, and cleaning and sanitising knives.

Double Meal Prep

This class involves you preparing 2 meals to be finished on the oven or stovetop or reheated in the oven at home.  Please bring: 

  1. 2 x 650ml takeaway container for greens from each dish (double if cooking 4 serves/meal)
  2. 2 x 350ml takeaway container for rice (double if cooking 4 serves/meal)
  3. 1 x 2l container with a lid for sauce for chicken (or a 4l container if making 4 portions)
  4. 1 x deep baking tray or casserole dish with lid for chicken – small (2 litre capacity) if you are cooking 2 serves per meal, or medium (3-4 litre capacity) if you are cooking 4 serves per meal.
  5. 1 x deep baking tray or casserole dish with lid for beef– small (2 litre capacity) if you are cooking 2 serves per meal, or medium (3-4 litre capacity) if you are cooking 4 serves per meal.

Otherwise, you can buy ‘containers’ packs on our website for a couple of dollars each. 

Soy poached chicken with greens (v – eggs and mushrooms)

Equipment

  • Cutting board stabilized
  • Chef’s knife
  • Cooktop
  • Saucepan with lid
  • Bowl of iced water
  • Strainer/sieve

Ingredients

  • 3 chicken thigh fillets, skin on (v – 4 eggs and 4 large king oyster or equivalent other Chinese mushrooms and 200g approx. firm tofu)
  • 1 tsp Chinese 5 spice
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 125ml light soy sauce
  • 60ml dark soy sauce
  • 125 ml Chinese cooking wine
  • 250ml water
  • 60g brown sugar
  • 5 cm piece ginger
  • 2 green onions/shallots
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 2 star anise
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns
  • 1 small bunch Chinese greens
  • 2 tsp chilli oil
  • 2 cups jasmine rice (chef to provide)
  • Salt and pepper

Method 

  1. Get all ingredients and equipment.
  2. Make poaching base:
    a. Slice ginger
    b. Slice garlic
    c. Slice green onions
    d. Add to saucepan with:
  • 125ml light soy sauce
  • 60ml dark soy sauce
  • 125 ml Chinese cooking wine
  • 250ml water
  • 60g brown sugar
  • 2 star anise
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns
    e. Cook until sugar is dissolved.
    f. Place in container to take home
  1. Prepare chicken (v – eggs and mushroom):
    a. Rub skin (v – mushrooms and cubed tofu) with Chinese 5 spice and salt
    b. Place into container to take home.
    c. (v – boil eggs for 6 mins 15 seconds, chill for 10 minutes in ice bath, peel and add to sauce base to cure)
  2. Prepare greens:
    a. Boil in salted water until cooked but still bright green.
    b. Drop into iced water to chill.
    c. Put in takehome container and top with chilli oil.
  3. Pack rice: Pack into takehome container.
  4. Clean down.
  5. At home:
    a. Place chicken into poaching liquid and cook at 150C for 2 hours (v – remove eggs from poaching liquid and set aside. Put mushrooms and tofu into liquid and cook at 150C for 1hr 15m) .
    b. While chicken is resting (v – mushroom and tofu are cooling a little):
    i. take about 1 cup (4 portions: 2 cups) of the sauce and gently boil in a saucepan for about 10 minutes until thickened (v – add eggs for the last 2 minutes to reheat them);
    ii. reheat rice
    iii. reheat greens
    iv. (v – cut eggs and serve)

Braised Chinese beef and green veg (v – sweet potato and tofu)

Equipment

  • Cutting board stabilized
  • Chef’s knife
  • Cooktop
  • Wok
  • Bowl of iced water
  • Medium bowl

Ingredients

  • 500g beef brisket (v – 200g tofu and 400g sweet potato)
  • 2 carrots
  • 1 head broccoli
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 4 cm fresh ginger
  • 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
  • 2 tsp oyster sauce (v –  mushroom sauce)
  • 2 tsp brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp Shaoxing cooking wine
  • 2 tsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp dark soy
  • 1 star anise
  • 1 black cardamom
  • 1 small fresh bay leaf
  • 2 serves egg noodles
  • Neutral vegetable oil
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • Salt and pepper

Method 

  1. Get all ingredients and equipment.
  2. Prepare vegetables:
    a. Cut broccoli into florets.
    b. Slice garlic.
    c. Slice ginger (no need to peel).
    d. Peel carrots and cut into chunks.
    e. (v – peel sweet potato and cut into chunks)
  3. Cook broccoli:
    a. Cook in boiling salted water.
    b. Blanch in iced water.
    c. Place into takehome container.
  4. Cook noodles according to packet instructions. Place into takehome container and toss with a little vegetable oil and the sesame oil
  5. Sear beef (v – tofu):
    a. Heat 2 tbsp neutral vegetable oil in wok.
    b. Sear all sides of whole beef piece (tofu) until quite browned.
    c. Set aside in bowl.
  6. Make sauce:
    a. In remaining oil, cook garlic and ginger over low heat for 30 seconds.
    1. Add:
      i. Sugar
      ii. Hoisin sauce
      iii. Oyster sauce (v – mushroom sauce)
  1. Start beef braise (v – tofu braise):
    a. Cut seared beef (v – tofu) into bite sized chunks.
    b. Put in sauce
    c. Add:
    i. Star anise
    ii. Black cardamom pod
    iii. Bay leaf
    iv. Cooking wine

    d. Toss until beef is browned (about 3 to 5 minutes)
    e. Add 250ml water.
    f. Add carrots and soy sauces (v – and sweet potato).
    g. Put into casserole dish and cover.
  1. Clean down, including sweeping floor, wiping and sanitising cooktop and benches, washing and drying up, and cleaning and sanitising knives.
  2. At home:
    a. Cook beef for 3 hours at 150C (v – cook casserole for 2 hours at 150C).
    b. Reheat noodles.
    c. Reheat broccoli (or add to braise for the last 5 minutes of the cook, ensuring broccoli is covered in sauce).
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