What you'll need

Serves 4
Prep & Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Chinese Steamed Prawns:

• 800g prawn meat, butterflied OR white fleshed fish, without skin, cut into small chunks OR chicken breast, sliced into 1cm pieces
• 2 tablepoons shaoxin rice wine (available at most supermarkets or Asian grocer)
• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
• 1/8 teaspoon of raw sugar or honey
• 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
• 5 tablespoons peeled, finely shredded ginger
• 6 stalks spring onions, sliced finely on a diagonal
• 1 long red chilli, deseeded and finely sliced or 1/2 teaspoon dried chilli flakes (optional)

Lettuce Stir Fry:

• 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 1 head iceberg or cos lettuce
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• white pepper

The easy bit

Before starting prep, make sure you are using a heatproof dish that fits comfortably in a wok or pot and a nicely domed lid which will allow steam to circulate over ingredients with ease. An alternative is to bake in an oven dish, covered at 180ºC, for 6 - 7 minutes or until prawns are just cooked.

1. To prepare prawns (or alternative meat), marinate prawns in the shaoxin, soy, sugar or honey and white pepper for 10 minutes in a heat proof dish. Sprinkle, ginger, spring onions and chilli over the top. Rest dish on a trivet or a teacup in your wok or pot filled with a small amount of water and steam covered on a vigorous boil for about 4 - 5 minute minutes or until prawns are cooked through. Do make sure there is enough space around the top of the dish for the steam to circulate over the prawns and that the water level in the pot or wok doesn't drop too much.
2. To stir fry, heat oil to a high heat with garlic. When garlic begins to turn golden, immediately add lettuce, oyster sauce and pepper. Stir fry for about 10 seconds (no more), then remove from heat.
3. Divide prawns and stir fry into 4 bowls and serve immediately.