Why knowing everything about Chinese food makes it hard to write a 256 page cookbook

Rock bands have the difficult second album. Novelists have the difficult second novel. But when you’re already an elder statesman of the food world, it’s the debut cookbook that can be a little tricky. You have to do justice to all you know while at the same time squishing it into 256 pages – with pictures.

This was the situation for chef Tony Tan. The man’s a proper legend in Melbourne – a culinary consultant, tour leader, cooking teacher and mentor to acclaimed chefs as well as a writer contributing regularly to Gourmet Traveller magazine and others. Not only has he an unrivalled expertise in Asian cuisines, he’s also trained in French and Spanish cooking, for which he has a particular passion.

Here Tony tells Jenni Muir why he decided to hone in on Hong Kong for his first book, and how the sophisticated, multi-cultural nature of the city’s food scene still posed many challenges when it came to choosing recipes.

You could have written about virtually any aspect of Chinese or South East Asian cuisine. What made you settle on Hong Kong Food City (Murdoch Books)?

I don’t recall how many times I’ve been to Hong Kong but I do remember my first trip there was in the late 80s/early 90s. Since then, I’ve been fascinated by its vibrant food scene; it’s an incredible city.

As a Chinese Malaysian, and coming from a family that ran Chinese/Cantonese restaurants, it was easy for me to identify with the mainly Cantonese food of Hong Kong. Cantonese food and cooking have always been part of my family’s repertoire, and now that one branch of my family has been living in Hong Kong for 15 years or so, I tend to visit annually.

Another reason I love Hong Kong’s food scene is that, while being anchored in Cantonese cuisine, it boasts Shanghainese, Chaozhou and Hakka cuisines, plus Sichuan and Beijing cooking styles too – so it’s a foodie’s paradise for Chinese food.

I also love the way foods from the British colonial era have made their way into the Hongkongers’ diet but taken on Hong Kong characteristics: things like the egg tart, soufflé and buns, all of which I’ve included in the book.

Then there are dishes that are termed ‘soy sauce western’, which fascinate me immensely. One of these is tomato noodles, which probably came about when spaghetti and macaroni were introduced to the local population in the 1950s. And then there are the English sauces, like Worcestershire sauce, which are served as a dip with Cantonese spring rolls – go figure!!

So how could I not choose Hong Kong? From a cook’s perspective, there’s so much to write about, taste and eat!

How do you decide what to leave out when approaching a vast subject like Hong Kong?

This has been agonizing – especially when I’ve been so familiar with what’s on offer in Hong Kong. But if one were to consider the diversity of foods that exist in France, Spain and Italy for instance, it’s almost impossible to do justice to these countries in a book. Hong Kong, as a city, is easier because I’m not addressing the foods of a whole country.

I decided to highlight the dishes from street level such as curried fish balls and rice dishes like clay pot rice, as well as ones eaten daily at home like stir-fried greens, Chinese broccoli and so on. I also wanted to showcase dim sum because Hong Kong is the epicentre of great yum cha dining. It would also be a crime not to show off fine dining establishments like Lung King Heen, T’ang Court and Tin Lung Heen, which have garnered Michelin stars.

On top of these, Hong Kong has always been a magnet for Western chefs. And chefs like Richard Ekkebus, Shane Osborn and several more have contributed much to the Hong Kong food scene – so much so they are accepted as part of the furniture. It would be wrong not to include them too.

So, while it was stressful deciding what to leave out, it was, in many ways, quite easy too. Besides, I really wanted the recipes to represent both what’s current and traditional in a city where eating is like breathing – a natural part of Hongkongers’ psyche.

What do we in the West still not get about Chinese food and cooking?

The Chinese food world is massive and its history spans thousands of years. It’s a country roughly the size of Europe with a range of climate zones, so China’s food is not only regional but influenced by the many ethnic communities who live there. All these factors, and the food traditions of the Chinese people, have combined to create a rich and diverse cuisine.

I’m a chef and food nerd and even I’m constantly surprised by what China has to offer. For instance, everyone knows the Chinese love noodles, but how many of us know the Cantonese make noodles with shrimp roe?

And when I went to Yunnan province a while ago, I was surprised to find locals making and cooking cheese Chinese style. Now cheese from Yunnan is not a regular feature of shops in Hong Kong, but one can find buffalo milk cheese from Daliang, Guangzhou there.

All this is to say Chinese food and cooking is truly varied.

But cooking Chinese food is not difficult. In my cooking classes, I always emphasise that all one needs are soy sauce, sesame oil, spring onion, ginger and a few other essentials one finds in a Western kitchen and it’s possible to cook Chinese food that’s healthy and authentic.

What have we still to learn?

Lots! Generally, while Chinese cooking is not difficult, it pays to remember a couple of things. No matter which Chinese regional style one is cooking, it’s best to focus on the mise en place, or prepping all the ingredients ready before cooking. Once this is under control, stir-frying a dish is only a matter of minutes.

Unless you like a soggy stir-fry, never overcrowd a wok or a frying pan. From experience, and depending on the size of the wok/pan, I tend to stir-fry for no more than four people at a time. If I have more than four dining, I stir-fry a dish twice to achieve the wok hei – the elusive fragrance that comes with practice.

In Chinese supermarkets, all the ingredients can be confusing and while different companies make similar sauces they look unfamiliar on the shelves. It pays to ask what they are and how to use them. Once you know how to use them, the rest is easy. Australians, I think, are more familiar with Chinese and Asian food than people of other English-speaking countries because they eat them more regularly.

You work with a lot of professional chefs. How do you go about recipe testing for the home kitchen?

I guess I’m lucky in the sense that my kitchen is well equipped, with a lot of gadgets, so testing recipes is not too difficult. But I am also a chef by trade so I understand how a recipe works. As a food writer, I tend to break down recipes into more approachable steps and methods so they are doable in a domestic kitchen.

What’s the hardest part of writing for you?

Selecting the recipes. When this Hong Kong project started some three years ago, I wanted to create a book that was user friendly but also represent what was current and valued in Hong Kong. I also wanted to highlight that Hong Kong is not only a Chinese city but also one where so many Western chefs have made it home. It’s this fabulous multi-racial, multi-cuisine mix that fascinates me, hence the inclusion of dishes from India, Korea, Vietnam and contemporary Western chefs.

Were you involved in the food photography? How did that go?

Yes, I was. Caroline Velik was a fantastic food stylist, and Patrick Trovato her incredibly talented assistant. Greg Elms is an extraordinary food photographer. Between us, we created dishes that not only tasted delicious but looked fabulous. We shot so many dishes in a day – starting at 8am and ending 6-7pm – that I was exhausted but we were all elated when we looked at the shots.

I was fascinated by the ginger pudding. What is the recipe you’re getting the most response to?

The ginger pudding needs mature ginger with lots of ginger juice otherwise it will not work. You also need a kitchen thermometer because it must be the right temperature for the pudding to set. Also, do not stir after pouring the warm milk into the juice. Just think of making junket and the principle is more or less the same.

There are two recipes that are getting a lot of response: chilled mango, sago, pomelo and coconut soup, and the XO sauce. I guess the mango dessert is popular because the book was launched here in Australia in summer when mangoes are plentiful and delicious. A second reason is perhaps because it is vegan.

As for the XO sauce, I have written so much about it for magazines that hard-core foodies here can’t wait to try it at home. Besides, here in Australia the premium stuff costs an arm and a leg to buy – $50 for a small jar! Happily, both of these dishes are Hong Kong originals, so I’m thrilled.

What’s next for you, professionally?

I’ve just bought a house in Trentham, a gorgeous village in rural Victoria. After some renovations, I’ll be reopening my cookery school in 2020. It will be just like my school in Toorak – meaning it’s about quality over quantity. Classes will be all-day affairs at the weekend. We’ll be cooking seasonally with special emphasis on the foods of Asia and Australia, and I’ll be giving plenty of contemporary twists. It’s exciting stuff!

Follow Tony on Instagram @tonytan53 and Twitter @tonytan53