--- Watch Jeremy Pang's Asian Kitchen Saturdays at 7.30pm from 25 March on SBS Food, with episodes available at SBS On Demand after they air. ---
Watching Jeremy Pang cook feels a bit like standing in the kitchen with a friend who likes to chat about what they are making while they whip up dinner. Given the likeable Pang is the founder of London’s School of Wok, it’s no surprise that he’s so at home talking about what he’s making while he cooks everything from Vietnamese stir-fried fish to peanut butter French toast with condensed milk.
In his latest TV show, Jeremy Pang's Asian Kitchen, the likeable Chinese-British chef, cookery teacher and author combine kitchen sessions – including a series of lessons helping “wannabe wok star” Joe Swash, an actor and TV presenter – with visits to food producers around Britain. Pang cooks up one dish while he’s on the road, inspired by the produce he’s been introduced to, and then back in his own kitchen, a range of Asian dishes that cover almost every occasion: family feasts, comfort cooking, restaurant classics. Some are Chinese, others take inspiration from other parts of Asia. “I might be Chinese but just love all types of Asian cooking,” says Pang.
“I often hear that Asian food is too complicated to cook in your own home kitchen, but I’m here to show you it’s not,” he says. He also has fun with some classic recipes: we’re talking chocolate chip cookies where soy sauce adds extra flavour or bao-inspired doughnuts.
Here’s what you can look forward to, and where to find the recipes:
Episode 1: Lighter Bites
Pang kicks things off with fragrant turmeric and dill fish, a stir-fried Vietnamese dish. Joe Swash steps into the kitchen for his first lesson and tries his hand at duck spring rolls, a perfect starter or snack.
Then Pang hits the road and takes a trip to Whitstable where he finds out how oysters are farmed. On the beach, he sets up his mobile kitchen to knock up oysters three ways, inspired by his travels in Vietnam. Back in his own kitchen, he makes coconut ice cream with ‘soy caramel’ sauce.
Duck spring rolls Source: Jeremy Pang's Asian Ktichen
Episode 2: Family Feasts
Who doesn’t love to cook for the ones they love? First up is Pang’s Malaysian chicken curry, perfect for your next family curry night. “When you’re cooking any type of curry, you know, it should be slow and loving. Love your curry like you love your loved ones,” he says, as he works on the curry sauce. Next, Joe Swash stops by for another lesson. This time he tries his hand at a vegan pad Thai, while Pang whips up a side of son-in-law eggs. Pang’s road trip takes him to Aberdeenshire where he meets Grace and her herd of Highland Cattle. Firing up the BBQ he cooks up a spicy feast of Korean BBQ beef and banchan. Back in his kitchen, he makes an impressive dessert, his matcha mille pancake stack, layers of mouth-watering pancakes smothered with cream.
Jeremy Pang with Malaysian chicken curry Source: Jeremy Pang's Asian Ktichen
Episode 3: Simple Suppers
To show that Asian cooking can be perfect for a midweek meal filled with flavour, Pang starts with steamed salmon with chilli bean, garlic and ginger oil, a fresh and flavourful dish that can be on the table in minutes. Joe Swash is back and this week he’s learning one of his takeaway favourites. Will his sesame prawn toast live up to his local Chinese? Also in this episode, lemongrass pork chops, a dish Pang picked up in Vietnamese markets, and chocolate chip cookies with a secret ingredient to make them extra special: sweet soy sauce. “It’s kind of like the dark chocolate of soya sauce. Got that nice treacly flavour to it, which works an absolute treat for this sweet treat,” he says.
Another lesson success: Joe and Jeremy with sesame prawn toasts Source: Jeremy Pang's Asian Ktichen
Episode 4: Restaurant Classics
In this episode, Pang is exploring the dishes everyone has seen on Asian restaurant menus, but he’s adding some twists to make them extra special. His first dish is crispy belly pork, served with a sweet soy drizzle and a side of flash-fried greens in mushroom stir-fry sauce.
Back in the classroom, Joe Swash is trying to create his own version of a classic, veggie Singapore noodles. Can he master the wok? Pang’s final two dishes are tea-smoked duck and pancakes, and to finish the show, Macanese egg tarts, are the perfect accompaniment for a cup of tea.
Jeremy Pang's Macanese egg tarts Source: Jeremy Pang's Asian Ktichen
Episode 5: Date Night
This week is all about going that extra mile for that someone special. First up is a slightly unusual date night dish, a sandwich, but this is a sandwich with a difference! Pang makes pork sando with homemade tonkatsu sauce, sure to impress. Joe Swash returns for his next lesson, trying his hand at a spicy and sweet classic crispy chilli beef. In Loch Ewe, Jeremy climbs aboard a fishing boat to join expert scallop diver Jamie, in search of the perfect scallops, then on the banks of the Loch cooks up the scallops in their shells with an amazing drizzle. His final dish is an indulgent dessert guaranteed to show how much you care: sticky toffee pudding with a Jeremy Pang twist to take it to the next level. “I thought it’s time for this classic to have a real Asian makeover,” he says.
Pork sando with homemade sauce Source: Jeremy Pang's Asian Ktichen
Episode 6: A Bit of Spice
In this episode, all the dishes have a bit of spice, even the pudding! Pang starts with Sichuanese mouth-watering chicken, a warming dish using Sichuan peppercorns. Joe Swash is attempting wontons served up in a speedy chilli broth. Will he master the wonton fold? Pang’s other dishes are Xinjiang lamb and mixed veg skewers, and a spiced plum steamed pudding.
Jeremy Pang with Sichuanese chicken Source: Jeremy Pang's Asian Ktichen
Episode 7: Quick and Easy
Everyone needs quick and easy meals in their repertoire. In today’s episode, Jeremy Pang has dishes that are not only tasty but are made in minutes. He gets things going with chilli oil noodles and a side of steamed eggplant with spring onion and garlic dressing. Cookery student Joe Swash is looking to master a quick recipe that still delivers on flavour, and Pang has just the ticket, kung pao chicken.
He then takes a trip to historic Hastings to meet local fisherman Stuart and enjoys a masterclass in filleting as he cooks up the catch of the day right on the beach. For his last dish, he knocks up a sweet treat ready in a hurry: peanut butter French toast with condensed milk.
Joe Swash succeeds with Kung pao chicken Source: Jeremy Pang's Asian Ktichen
Episode 8: Dishes to Impress
Whether you’ve got people over for a games night or an impromptu get-together, our host has the perfect dishes to impress. He gets things going with BBQ chicken wings with spicy slaw, and drunken prawns, while Joe Swash cooks up Malaysian fried rice. Finally, there are cinnamon bao doughnuts and chocolate dipping sauce using a “cheats” dough that makes it easy to impress even the toughest crowd!
Jeremey Pang with doughnuts Source: Jeremy Pang's Asian Ktichen
Episode 9: Crowd Pleasers
In his kitchen today, Pang is making dishes to feed and please a crowd, starting with delicious steamed bao with black pepper beef filling - a perfect party platter. He then teaches keen student Joe Swash to make another classic – salt and pepper chilli squid – with homemade sweet chilli sauce. On the road, Pang fires up the BBQ in his mobile kitchen to make a soy chicken burrito, sure to please a crowd. And today’s dessert is the perfect centrepiece - a pandan Swiss roll.
Jeremey Pang with chicken burritos Source: Jeremy Pang's Asian Ktichen
Episode 10: Comforting Cooking
Jeremy Pang’s dishes this week are all comfort food, starting with a meal from his childhood - Guangxi steamed chicken topped with chives. Joe Swash is trying a dim sum classic, char sui puffs, flaky puff pastry filled with delicious pork. After a lesson in foraging for mushrooms, Jeremy uses his find in a comforting crispy dish, a tempura medley of mushrooms. He finishes with a lovely apple sesame loaf cake, perfect with an afternoon cup of tea.
Find all the recipes from the show here. Read tips from Jeremy Pang, Adam Liaw and Harry Quay on how to work a wok here:
Jeremy Pang's Guangxi steamed chicken Source: Jeremy Pang's Asian Ktichen
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