Week 5 Your Cookalong food questions answered - week 5

Week 5 menu

Date Published:

13/10/2008

Our cookery expert answers all your questions about the menu for Cookalong Live - week 5.

Note: The Cookalong isn’t being repeated on Saturday, but you can watch it all again on Channel 4 Catch-up

Why not try simply halving the amount of chilli for the starter – hot and sour soup needs a bit of heat - then leaving it out altogether from the main course and dessert? The dishes won’t taste quite the same, but they’ll be equally as delicious. And remember, deseeding and removing the membrane from inside the chillies will ensure they don’t hold as much heat.

Shiitake mushrooms are particularly good for the soup because they have a great texture and good flavour, but any mushrooms would do. Look out for the oriental varieties that are sometimes available, but remember that some, such as oyster mushrooms, are very delicate and need gentle handling. Alternatively, you could soak some dried mushrooms in hot water then add to soup, along with the strained liquor. Add sliced portabella or even chestnut mushrooms and you’ll have plenty of flavour and texture. Make sure to have your mushrooms soaked before the beginning of the show.

No, I’m afraid not. Lime cordial is heavily sweetened and has a very distinctive flavour. On this occasion, the lime juice is adding to the sourness of the soup and is therefore a definite must. You could try using freshly squeezed lemon juice as an alternative, but just one large lime should yield 3-4 tbsp juice.

No, this recipe needs beef that cooks quickly and stays tender and juicy. Braising and stewing steak is much better for low, slow cooking. If you’d rather not buy fillet steak, choose sirloin or rump steak instead and trim off any obvious fat.

Don’t despair, just a couple of alternatives should see you through both courses. Simply swap the prawns in the soup for firm tofu, cut into roughly 2cm chunks, and leave out the fish sauce. Omit the beef and add some vegetables to the stir fry – sliced carrots and shredded pak choi or cabbage for added colour and texture - and a couple of handfuls of cashew nuts to give extra crunch. Leave out the oyster sauce and add some extra soy sauce or even sweet chilli sauce instead.

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