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flavours that bind by Lee Kum Kee,

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of Eva Pau's Asian Kitchen.

My name is Eva,

and I'm very excited to welcome you
into my Asian Kitchen.

In this series,
I'll share the secrets

behind cooking authentic,
fresh, delicious Asian food at home.

Recipes to breathe a bit of fresh air
into your weekly meal plan.

I can eat this every day.

To me, food and family
are inseparable.

My mum and dad are from China,

but we've lived in Ireland
since I was one month old,

so I'm a true blend of East and West.

I grew up running around
my parents' supermarket,

so my life has always been
about food, food, food.

I'm not a professional chef,
but cooking is my passion.

So when I'm not working,

I'm at home experimenting
with food or thinking about it.

I collect cookbooks and read them
like other people read fiction.

I'm very lucky that I get to travel
to Asia a few times a year.

I visit my granny Hong Kong,
who is still cooking at 93,

and I keep up
with all the food trends.

So join me as we recreate the bold
and vibrant flavours of Asia.

This week, it's all about vinegar,

which might sound strange to you,

but it's actually
an indispensable ingredient

in a huge range of Asian dishes.

Just like we've seen
with rice and noodles,

there's also many,
many varieties of Asian vinegar,

but just a few drops
of the right one,

and you'll really capture
the authentic flavour of the dish.

♪ ♪

Chinese black vinegar is my favourite
of all the Asian vinegars,

You also see it
called seasoned vinegar.

It's incredibly versatile.

Think of it like
the balsamic vinegar of Asia.

It's the key to my sumptuous
Kung Pao chicken.

Big, bold flavours,

golden cashews for creamy crunch,

and a chilli kick
you can dial up or down.

It also plays an important role

in my braised pork
and aubergine dish,

a divine combination of flavours

which might just redefine
your relationship with aubergines.

But first up,

it's my fruity and tangy
sweet and sour,

which features
a mild white rice vinegar.

To start, we need to cut our fish.

You want them not to be too small.

Any type of white fish
works really well with this dish.

It can be cod, it can be haddock,

but it really needs to be
a firm type of a white fish

so that it doesn't fall to pieces.

Now, I'm just gonna wash my hands.

So now we just want
to season our fish.

I'm just gonna get some salt

and white pepper.

One egg white.

I'm just adding in the egg white
so that makes the batter crispier.

Give that a little mix

and set it aside.

Now we can start prepping our veg.

So first up,
I'm just gonna slice up some ginger.

My usual little teaspoon trick.

I just need a few slices
of ginger here to flavour the oil.

Now we're just gonna slice the onion.

So sweet and sour is probably

one of the most famous flavour
combinations that come from China.

And who doesn't like
a sweet and sour?

You probably usually get it
with pork or chicken,

but I'm really going to urge you
to try it with fish.

It tastes, honestly, even better.

So I'm just gonna cut
half a green pepper,

and you still want to keep
the vegetables quite chunky

because you really don't want them
to disappear into the sauce.

Half a red pepper.

And a carrot.

So quickly just peel it.

I quite like to have a bit of fun
with my carrot,

and I'm just going to make it
into a little flower shape.

To do this, you just hold the carrot
still and you make a little insert.

Cut four wedges
out of the carrot lengthways,

and then when you slice it,
you'll have lovely flowers.

Of course, you don't have to do this,

but I just I think
it is quite pretty.

You might even help
your kids eat a few more carrots.

Lastly, I'm just gonna
chop a few scallions

for our garnish at the end.

Okay, now that's our veg all prepped.

And so now
we're gonna move on to the sauce.

Now, first in, we're gonna add
some sugar.

It might look like a lot of sugar,
but hey, it's sweet and sour.

We're going to add in the ketchup

and some vinegar.

So this is a really special
white rice vinegar

and has a subtle,
not too strong a flavour.

So it's perfect for this dish.

Now, for that fruity flavour
in the sauce,

you really want to have
some pineapple juice,

or I like to use the juice
from the tinned pineapple

as it's slightly thicker and sweeter.

Okay, now give that a good mix,
and we'll start on the batter.

So I have some plain flour,

and to that,
I'm gonna add some corn flour.

Now,

you can just use plain flour,
but I like to add in some corn flour

because it gives me
a crispier finish.

So I have my oil here
that has been heating.

I'm looking for those
little bubbles.

The oil seems to be just hot enough.

And now we're just
going to coat our fish

to give it a light and crispy batter.

I'm just coating them
here individually.

But actually,
if you want a thicker batter,

you can put all
of the flour into the fish.

So when you shallow-fry it,

the batter will become
a little bit thicker.

This is a really famous
Shanghainese dish.

Now, I first had it
with my grandmother in China,

and I remember
when this got brought out.

It was deep fried.

It was a whole fish,
head and tail and everything.

And then there was this glorious
sweet and sour sauce laced all over.

It was so delicious.
I was hooked.

Once the fish pieces are all coated,

place them carefully
into the hot oil.

So they'll be in the oil for three
to four minutes on each side.

You want to keep an eye
on them so they don't burn.

Turn them after a few minutes,

and once they're
a lovely golden colour,

remove them from the oil.

That's my gorgeous
crispy fish already.

I'm just gonna set the oil over here.

Add a drizzle of oil in the pan.

Like all stir fries,
it's going to happen very quickly.

So I'm going to add in some ginger
just to flavour the oil.

You can really smell
the lovely aroma from this.

Now, we're just going to add in
the onion and all the veg.

So we're just gonna stir-fry this
for three to four minutes

before we add in the sauce
and the pineapple.

♪ ♪

As a kid, this is one
of my favourite dishes,

and I always used to try and fish out

all the lovely,
chunky pineapple pieces.

We're just gonna let
that simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.

So at this stage,
you can check on the sauce here

and see if you like the consistency.

I would like it to be
a little bit thicker.

So now we're just going to add
a teaspoon of potato starch

with some cold water,
around two tablespoons.

Corn flour also works.

And it's really, really important
to use cold water to thicken.

Now,

you need to turn that down
before you add this in,

because if it's too hot,

the sauce can actually
turn a little bit gloopy.

So you want to turn down the heat

and then stir and add
your potato starch water.

I'm really happy with that now,

so we can add in the fish.

Doesn't it look so good?

So you just want to coat
the fish in the sauce.

Time to plate up.

So you have the lovely
juicy pineapple, crunchy vegetables,

and the delicateness of this fish.

I can't wait to try this.

I almost forgot my spring onions.

Let me give it a quick sprinkle.

It is the perfect sweet and sour.

You get that lovely tanginess
from that rice vinegar.

Promise me, you'll try it at home.

♪ ♪

Sweet, spice, and vinegar,

the combination of these tasty, bold
flavours shake up the taste buds.

Now, this dish is a famous dish
from the Sichuan province in China,

where they like to use
a lot of chillies,

and the food is seriously spicy.

Now, believe me,

I visited there with my dad
when I was a little girl,

and I could hardly eat a thing.

But now I make it milder,
and everyone loves it.

It's Kung Pao chicken.

We'll start by marinating
the chicken.

I have here some small cubes
of chicken thigh meat.

I'm just going to add in
a spoon of light soy.

I really like to use thigh meat.

I think it's more
flavourful and tender.

A teaspoon of dark soy,

some Chinese cooking wine,

a little drizzle of sesame oil.

So a teaspoon of potato starch,

and then a pinch of white pepper.

It has a slightly more subtle flavour
than the black pepper.

Now you want to give that a good mix.

You can really smell that aromatic
Chinese cooking wine in here.

I'm just gonna pop the lid back on.

And now I'm gonna prep my aromatics.

Slice some garlic,

ginger, and half an onion.

Now for the magic ingredient,

a few dried chillies.

They're hotter than fresh chillies,

but if you can't get dry chillies,
you can, of course, use fresh.

In Sichuan,

they use 30 to 40 chillies
in this dish.

I'm only using five,
but if you're feeling brave,

you can definitely ramp it up.

And finally, some scallions.

Okay, so next,
for our Kung Pao sauce,

we are going to add in
a teaspoon of potato starch.

Add in some water,

about two tablespoons.

Now you need to mix this really well,

and this will help thicken our sauce.

I'm going to add in
my secret ingredient,

which is this Chinese black vinegar.

Three tablespoons go in.

And this is really a nice,
subtle vinegar.

It is so versatile.

I add it into marinades,
to salads, to noodles, everything.

A couple tablespoons of light soy.

Give that a little mix.

And last but not least, I'm adding
in some Chinese brown cane sugar.

It comes in slabs,
and you dissolve it in your sauce.

And it really adds
this beautiful caramel flavour

and colour to your sauce.

But light brown sugar works, too.

Okay, now we're just
gonna set that aside,

and we're gonna get our wok on.

So you want to heat the wok first.

Get that hot before
you're adding in the oil.

And remember, you can tell
when the oil is hot enough,

when you put your spatula in

and little bubbles
start to form around it

and it starts to sizzle a little.

My oil is ready now,

and I'm just gonna add in
my cashew nuts.

We just want them to turn
a little golden brown.

Just enough time for a clean time.

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lunch, or a quick snack,

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My cashews are lovely and golden,

so I'm going
to set them aside for later.

Now, you want to leave
the oil in the pan

that has all that lovely
cashew nut flavour.

We're gonna add in all the aromatics.

So the garlic,

the ginger,

onion, the chillis,

and a pinch of Sichuan peppercorns.

Now,

the Sichuan peppercorns
has a little tingling feeling

and quite spicy, so use with caution.

If you don't want your dish to be
too hot, you can leave them out.

So you want to push
all the onions and chillies

and garlic over to the side,

and in goes the chicken

And now we fry the chicken
in the middle of the wok,

where the heat
is a little bit higher.

I remember having this dish

in my friend's Sichuan
restaurant in Dublin.

He told me his chefs add in a little
bit of that Chinese black vinegar

into their Kung Pao chicken.

It is literally a game changer.

So I've used that
in my dish ever since.

So when the chicken is nearly done,

you can mix all
the aromatics in together.

Now, in goes our fabulous sauce.

Here you want
to just gently simmer it

so that the lovely brown sugar
melts into the sauce.

In go our golden cashews.

And finally,
the fresh green scallions.

And we're ready to serve.

This looks and smells so good.

I'm gonna finish it off
with a few more lovely spring onions.

I can't wait any longer.
I'm gonna have to taste this.

Mmh!

The tender chicken,

the depth of that vinegar
and that lovely chilly kick,

the crunch
of these beautiful cashew nuts.

This dish will make people love you.

♪ ♪

There'll be nothing left
in these bowls

after I serve this next dish
to my family later on.

In Chinese,
it's called Yu Xiang Qie Zi,

which translated, literally means,
fish fragrant aubergine.

But there isn't
actually any fish in it.

The name refers to the technique
of using fragrant garlic,

ginger, and onion,

typically used to cook fish,
hence the name.

But whatever the name,

the combination
of marinated, minced pork

and buttery smooth aubergine

will keep everyone
at your table happy.

♪ ♪

First up,
we're gonna season our meat.

So into the pork, we're gonna have
one table spoon of light soy.

This is adding this beautiful
saltiness to the pork.

A teaspoon of sugar,

a teaspoon
of the Chinese cooking wine,

and two teaspoons
of our soya bean sauce.

Now, this is a fermented
soya bean sauce.

It's quite rich and savoury,

quite similar to a miso paste.

Now, I'm going to add
a pinch of salt,

a pinch of white pepper.

I'm gonna mix
all those lovely flavours together.

Now onto our lovely long aubergines.

Now, you might
not have seen these before,

but they taste the same
as your normal aubergine.

The skin is slightly
lighter and thinner,

but the texture is the same,
and it's perfect for this dish.

Cut them into two-inch pieces.

The aubergine can be
quite controversial.

People are really not sure
what to do with them.

And I get that
because the texture is quite unusual.

But it's really perfect
for this dish.

We're going to be using
a Chinese technique, braising,

and it's like marinating,
but in a hot liquid.

So the aubergine actually soaks up
all the beautiful flavours.

Pop them into a bowl,

and we're gonna move on
to our aromatics.

I'm gonna start with my ginger.

A few thin slices will do.

Garlic, next.

Half a small onion.

And some scallions.

So I'm making this dish,
Cantonese style,

so I won't be adding any chillies.

But if you do like a hot dish,

you can add in a teaspoon
of chilli bean paste,

which would add
a lovely heat to this dish.

Okay, so now for our sauce,

we're going to add in
a teaspoon of sugar,

and then our star ingredient,
vinegar.

Again, I'm using
Chinese black vinegar here.

A little bit of light soy,

dark soy.

This adds a really nice
colour to the dish.

And then a little bit
of oyster sauce.

Finally, some water.

Now, this water just
mellows down the sauce.

It allows the aubergine to braise
and soak in this beautiful liquid.

I remember the first time
I made this for my husband.

He was very sceptical of it because
he wasn't an aubergine lover.

But once he tasted this,

he was definitely converted,
and now it is a family favourite.

So my wok is warmed there now.

I'm going to add in a drizzle of oil.

Wait for that to get hot, and then
we're gonna add in our aromatics.

So first in the garlic, the ginger,

and the onions.

The kitchen instantly smells great.

Next, our minced pork.

I'm gonna push
my aromatics to one side,

and you want the minced pork
to take centre stage in the wok.

Do keep an eye on your minced pork.

You do want to keep it moving
to keep it seared on all sides.

Once you have
a bit of colour on the pork,

it's time to mix in
your lovely aubergine.

Just give it a little stir,

and then in with your sauce.

Now, lid on on medium heat,

and the magic
of the braising happens here.

The aubergine will be soaking in
all that beautiful sauce

and will turn lovely and buttery.

Five minutes.

♪ ♪

So now that's looking really good.

The aubergine has softened,

but the sauce needs
to reduce a little bit more.

So I'm just going
to leave the lid off

and turn up the heat.

Let that bubble away
for a few minutes

and then pop the scallions in.

Give it a little stir.

You can see
that it's really reduced down now.

It's exactly what I want.

Time to plate up.

Now, this plate is
a very special plate.

It's a Cantonese style
dish and pattern.

So I'm very excited to put our
Cantonese style dish on this plate.

And if you leave the mince pork out,

you'll have a very good
vegetarian dish as well.

So you'll have to use
vegetarian oyster sauce, too.

I'm gonna sprinkle
with some more spring onion.

This dish is perfect
to serve with rice

because the aubergine
have melted down

and it's become quite saucy.

I have a hungry family
waiting for this,

but I am going to take
a sneaky taste.

It is absolutely delicious.

The aubergine has really softened
and soaked that beautiful sauce.

You can really taste
that tangy vinegar as well.

I can't wait for you to taste this.

♪ ♪

I hope you've enjoyed
this introduction

to the use of vinegar
in Asian cuisine.

It's a wonderful ingredient
that can make all the difference.

Have fun cooking
and see you next time.

All the recipes from today's episode
can be found at rte.ie/food.

Subtitles: RTÉ 2025

For marinates to stir fries,

grills and glaze,
seasoning or drizzling,

flavours that bind by Lee Kum Kee,

proud sponsor
of Eva Pau's Asian Kitchen.