Classic Cantonese

The Northern Irish cook talks to us about her journey from the family’s takeaway to winning a cooking show.

Things might have exploded for Suzie Lee since winning Best Home Cook in 2020 – she’s presented two cooking shows on BBC NI and is now releasing her debut cookbook – but that doesn’t mean she’s quit her day job.

Lee is still an accountant by trade, saying: “If you ever meet me, I will always say I’m an accountant who cooks, because that’s my day-to-day job. I’m still a chartered accountant, I still have my accountancy business – that’s what brings in the money. The other stuff, as much as it seems really glossy, it doesn’t pay the bills.”

However, Lee, 38, describes winning Best Home Cook as “life-changing”, saying it has “opened so many doors”.

She adds: “Pretty much when I won Best Home Cook, I was like OK, I can cook. It’s OK to say I can cook, and I know what I’m doing in the cuisines I’m showcasing – because I’ve loved cooking from the age of 16. When my mum passed away, I pretty much took on the role of mum, so I had to properly cook.”

Lee remembers the December before her mother died, when her mum refused to cook the Christmas meal – leaving it down to her. “She literally went, nope, I’m going to show you how to use the industrial oven [Lee grew up in a Chinese takeaway], and how to not blow up the kitchen with the gas wok – then you’re on your own.

“So I took on that challenge at the age of 16, the Christmas before she passed away. I cooked over 40 of my family members Christmas dinner – so it was a baptism of fire, but she obviously believed in me that I could do it.

“She came back and forth from our house [to the takeaway], just to check I was OK, but she let me at it. I think it was one of those things where she was prepping me for the future, strange as it sounds, because within two months she passed away very suddenly.”

So did Lee’s festive meal get the seal of approval? “She just nodded,” Lee says. “In Chinese culture, praise is not a thing… But I got a nod, which meant a lot – that is praise in itself.”

After her mother died, Lee’s confidence in the kitchen grew – largely because she was forced to take on the cooking role, feeding her 15-year-old brother and seven-year-old cousin.

She started exploring all kinds of different cuisines (many of which she would go on to showcase on Best Home Cook) but she admits she initially steered clear of Cantonese food. “I found it quite hard to go down that route,” Lee admits. “Because my mum was my idol, in a sense. She was the best [at Cantonese cooking]. And I thought I hadn’t learned enough from her, whereas all the other cuisines I could explore on the internet, buy cookbooks, magazines, whatever, and play around with – but traditional Cantonese cooking, for me, my mum held that up there – and I was like, I can’t replicate that.”

Now, Lee has dedicated her first cookbook to Cantonese food, with recipes in “broken down steps, so people won’t be scared of Chinese cooking”.

Growing up in a Chinese takeaway – the Man Lee in Lisburn, which is still going strong – Lee gets frustrated by the negative reputation takeout can get.

“I think people have this stigma around takeaways, that they’re bad, but actually, traditional Chinese cooking is all about fresh food and fresh ingredients. It’s actually about being quick… You can get a really good stir fry or chop suey, and that’s actually fresh vegetables and ingredients, where there are not many extra creams or really bad sauces in it.

“People are thinking, ‘Oh, it’s so high in calories’ – but not really. It’s knowing that it’s fresh vegetables, you’re cooking it really quickly, so you’re not losing the nutritional value of the vegetables.”

Lee’s book does have a takeaway section, with recipes including sweet and sour chicken and spring rolls, and she adds: “It’s not the best for you, but it’s a treat. It’s not meant to be that you’re eating sweet and sour Cantonese chicken – the deep-fried version – every day. It’s all about being responsible.”

She also wants to showcase the uniqueness of Cantonese cuisine, compared to other regions in China. “Cantonese food is another string to that whole Chinese story. Cantonese, it’s mainly Hong Kong, so it’s right by the seaside. So there’s fish, and it’s all about very fresh food,” she says.

“It’s all about making use of all of those flavours – the sweet, the sharp, but also the fresh – and playing with those. I find there’s a much cleaner taste, compared to if you’re going to the north of China. Szechuan cooking is really obviously about spice, everything’s all very heavily spiced. That’s their culture, but with Hong Kong Cantonese cooking, because you were able to get fresh ingredients, they were making sure those ingredients sung on their own with a little bit of soy – if it’s fresh fish, some ginger, spring onion, and letting the dish do its thing.”

Veggie Singapore Noodles

 A classic for a reason.

“Fun fact: Singapore noodles actually originate from Hong Kong, not Singapore,” says Suzie.

“It is said that this dish was invented by chefs in the 1950s, when trade was booming in Hong Kong and spices such as curry powders were readily accessible. The name was just to give the dish some flair.

“This dish is on our Chinese takeaway menu and it is very popular. It is traditionally made with ham, chicken and prawns but I have made this veggie only, which tastes just as good.”

Ingredients:

(Serves 4)

500g vermicelli rice noodles or roughly 250g dried noodles

4tbsp vegetable oil

4 large eggs, beaten with a pinch of salt

1 medium carrot, peeled and finely cut into matchsticks

1 sweet pepper (any colour), deseeded and thinly sliced

100g baby corn, thinly sliced diagonally

100g mangetout, thinly sliced diagonally

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

3tsp curry powder (mild/medium/hot)

1tsp chilli powder (mild/medium/hot) (optional)

1tsp garlic powder

4tsp light soy sauce

2tsp toasted sesame oil

Sea salt and white pepper

2 spring onions, thinly sliced

Method:

1. Soak the noodles in a heatproof bowl of boiling water for one minute, then strain and set aside.

2. Heat two tablespoons of the vegetable oil in a wok or frying pan over a high heat, add the beaten eggs and fry for a minute on each side, without stirring, until they set like an omelette. Transfer to a plate, then cut into thin strips.

3. Heat one tablespoon of the oil in the wok or frying pan over a high heat, add the carrot, pepper, baby corn and mangetout with a splash of water to stop them burning and fry for a minute. Transfer to a plate. In the same wok or frying pan (you don’t need to clean it) add the remaining tablespoon of oil, then add the onion with a splash of water, the curry powder, chilli powder (if using – I use mild curry powder and leave out the chilli powder when I’m cooking this for kids) and garlic powder or granules and fry for a couple of minutes over a high heat until the aromas are released.

4. Toss in the cooked vermicelli and put all the vegetables back in the wok or pan. Toss again so everything is evenly distributed. Add the soy sauce, sesame oil and egg strips and keep frying and tossing until the noodles change to a golden yellow colour. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed, add the spring onions and serve.

Hong Kong-Style Chicken Wings

A lot of flavour, with relatively little fuss.

“Barbecuing is a big thing in Hong Kong, and during our summer holidays there we would have had at least one trip to a ‘BBQ site’” remembers Suzie.

“Chicken wings are a weekly favourite in our household. My children absolutely love them. This is such an easy but delicious recipe, which makes the most of simple ingredients.”

Ingredients:

(Serves 4)

500g chicken wings

1tsp toasted sesame oil

3tbsp light soy sauce

3tbsp runny honey, plus extra for brushing

½tbsp garlic powder

1tsp vegetable oil

Pinch of each – salt and white pepper

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C fan (350°F/gas 4) and line a baking tray with baking parchment. Alternatively, prepare a barbecue.

2. Put the wings in a saucepan, cover with cold water and bring to the boil, then boil for five minutes, skimming off the impurities or scum that float on the surface with a large spoon. Use a slotted spoon to remove the wings and keep the chicken broth for other uses.

3. While the chicken is parboiling, put the sesame oil, soy sauce, honey, garlic, oil and salt and pepper in a bowl. Transfer the drained wings to this bowl and toss them to coat with the marinade, then let them sit for about five minutes to absorb all the flavours. The wings can also be left covered overnight in the refrigerator. If you’re baking the wings in the oven, put them on the lined baking tray and bake for 10 minutes, then remove the tray and brush with the juices and marinade from the bottom of the tray. Drizzle and brush with extra honey and roast for a further five minutes. If you’re barbecuing the wings, baste them with more honey, place them on the grill and cook for five to eight minutes on each side until slightly charred.

4. Check the wings are thoroughly cooked by cutting into them. If they aren’t yet cooked through, roast for another five minutes.

Black and White Sesame Bars

Protein-packed and delicious, these bars make a perfect afternoon snack.

“Sesame brittle is one of those amazing treats that is just so addictive,” says Suzie.

“These bars are made with two different types of sesame seeds and peanuts, and they really hit the spot. If you are craving a treat, this is a great one to pick up as it is high in protein.”

Ingredients:

(Makes 12 bars)

200g skinless unsalted peanuts

100g white sesame seeds

100g black sesame seeds

325g granulated sugar

50g butter, melted

Method:

1. Line a 20cm square baking tray with baking parchment.

2. Toast all the peanuts and both types of sesame seeds in a dry frying pan over a low to medium heat for a couple of minutes (make sure you don’t burn them), then tip out into a dish.

3. Wipe clean the pan (make sure it is super clean), then add the sugar. Spread the sugar out flat with the palm of your hand, then place the pan over a low heat. Once the edges of the sugar have melted and turned golden, the rest of the caramel will form very quickly – tip the pan from side to side, so the caramel colours evenly and all the granules melt. Do not stick in a spoon to stir: it will immediately crystallise the caramel and ruin it. The caramel will take about 10 minutes to melt and turn golden: be patient!

4. Quickly add the melted butter and stir with a spatula until you have a toffee sauce (this takes seconds of stirring, so be ready to add in the rest of the ingredients). Add the peanuts and sesame seeds, quickly stir, and tip into the lined tray. Press down with another piece of baking parchment, so the mixture is evenly spread out. Mark 12 bars on top of the slab, so they are easier to snap apart when set.

Simply Chinese by Suzie Lee is published by Hardie Grant. Photography by Lizzie Mayson.

5. Leave to cool completely (this will take about an hour), then cut with a sharp knife to the desired ‘bar size’. The bars will keep in an airtight container for up to two weeks, but they never make it to the end of the week for us!

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