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Boneless chicken thighs cube small; marinate for 1 hour in gochujang, gochugaru, soy, garlic, ginger, sugar and sesame oil. Pan-grill in a wide cast-iron skillet over medium-high until the sauce caramelises and the chicken is just cooked. Off heat, generous mozzarella scatters across the top; cover briefly or finish under a grill to melt. Top with sesame seeds and spring onions.
This is summer-BBQ adaptation of the lacquered red roast meats that hang in the windows of Cantonese siu mei shops. The marinade borrows from char siu (hoisin, soy, Shaoxing wine, five-spice, fermented bean curd, garlic, ginger) but pulls back on the sugar slightly because chicken does not need as much sweetness as pork shoulder. Bone-in skin-on thighs are the right cut: they stay juicy on the grill, the skin renders down and crisps, and the bones give the meat shape. A two-stage glaze does the rest. The thighs cook over indirect heat first to render the fat and set the meat, then move directly over the coals for the last few minutes while a honey-maltose mixture is brushed on repeatedly. Every brush of glaze caramelises, blackens slightly at the edges, then gets brushed again. The result is sticky-shiny with a smell that is half five-spice, half woodsmoke. Difficulty is low if you control your heat. A two-zone fire (one side coals piled high, the other side empty) is the only real requirement; on a gas grill, two burners on full and one off does the same job. Serve sliced over plain rice with sliced cucumber and a spoon of chilli oil, or stuffed into bao with hoisin and spring onion.
Char siu, literally "fork-roasted" in Cantonese, is the lacquered red barbecue pork that hangs in the windows of siu mei shops across Hong Kong, Guangzhou and any Cantonese diaspora neighbourhood worth knowing. Traditionally long strips of pork are skewered on hooks and lowered into vertical ovens or charcoal pits, where the marinade caramelises into a shimmering, almost brittle crust while the inside stays juicy and pink at the edges. The marinade is a careful balance: hoisin sauce for sweetness and body, light and dark soy for salt and colour, Shaoxing wine for aromatics, five-spice for warmth, fermented red bean curd (nam yu) for the deep umami funk that distinguishes shop-quality char siu from home attempts, and a final glaze of maltose syrup thinned with honey for that characteristic glossy finish. Pork shoulder is the cut of choice because the marbling keeps the meat moist through high-heat roasting; lean cuts like loin go dry and stringy. The classic colour comes from a small amount of red yeast rice or, in modern home recipes, a touch of red food colour, though the dish tastes the same without it. Difficulty is moderate. The marinade needs overnight, and the roasting needs your attention for the final glazing turns under high heat, but the technique itself is straightforward. Serve over rice with greens, in a soft bao bun, or chopped onto wonton noodles.
A simple oil-based cake built around a generous pour of dark honey, brewed coffee for moisture and depth, and a quartet of spices (cinnamon, ginger, clove, allspice). Mixed in one bowl, baked low and slow. The crumb is dark and dense without being heavy; the flavour deepens overnight, which is why most Jewish households bake it a day or two ahead of the meal.
Roast chicken at its most rewarding: bone-in, skin-on thighs that braise gently in their own marinade then crisp up under a sticky honey-and-soy lacquer, basted twice during cooking so the surface builds up in glossy layers. You let the chicken sit in the marinade overnight so the salt in the soy seasons deep into the meat, and the same marinade doubles as the glaze when you roast - raw honey and dark brown sugar caramelising into the skin while the ginger, garlic and a hit of sambal oelek keep things from being one-note sweet. A wire rack matters; it lifts the chicken so the underside also crisps and the marinade can't pool and boil. The kitchen fills with the smell of caramelising honey, garlic and toasted soy for the last fifteen minutes. The result sits somewhere between Cantonese roast meats and a Korean glazed thigh, with the gentle chilli warmth threading through every bite. Steamed rice and a quick green vegetable on the side, with the basting sauce poured generously over.
Salmon fillets sear skin-side down for crisp skin, then bathe in a quick honey-soy-mirin-ginger reduction that lacquers them. Broccoli or bok choy steams in the same pan with a splash of stock. Twenty minutes; one pan; serve over rice.
Chicken wings (or boneless thighs) get a light cornflour-and-flour coating and fry low and slow first to cook through. They cool, then fry hot and fast for the crisp. The sauce is a quick reduction of gochujang, gochugaru, soy, garlic, ginger, honey and rice vinegar; the just-fried chicken tosses in the sauce and gets eaten immediately.
A bunch of mint and a bunch of coriander are blended with green chilli, garlic, ginger, lemon juice, cumin and a small handful of roasted gram (for body). Thick natural yogurt is folded in at the end. The chutney finishes bright green, sharp and cool; designed to cut through the richness of chargha, boti and chapli kebabs.
Lamb shoulder cubes brown deeply, then simmer slow with onion, garlic and a Moroccan spice blend (ras el hanout, ginger, cinnamon). Stock and a splash of honey go in; dried apricots join in the second half so they soften without dissolving. Toasted almonds and coriander on top.
Lamb shoulder is cut into large chunks. A spice paste of garlic, ginger, saffron, paprika, cumin, cinnamon, salt and olive oil rubs in; rests briefly. Onion sweats slowly in olive oil; the lamb goes in skin/fat-side down to brown lightly; water (or stock) covers halfway. Lid on; slow simmer for 1 hour 45 minutes until very tender. Soft pitted prunes go in for the last 20 minutes with a tablespoon of honey. Garnished with toasted whole almonds and sesame seeds. Eaten with bread or couscous.
Classical baklava holds the geometry: layered filo, nut filling, sugar syrup. This version trades the usual rose or orange-blossom syrup for one infused with three breakfast tea bags, a knob of fresh ginger, and a generous pinch of cardamom seeds - the spice profile of masala chai distilled into a sugar bath. The nuts shift too: a mix of toasted almond and cashew (not pistachio) carries the chai notes better. The pastry rolls into tight little cylinders rather than the conventional layered sheets, packed onto a tray, and bakes hot until deeply golden. The cooled syrup goes over in two pours - half first, rest after 5 minutes - so the soak penetrates to the core.
Fresh coconut grates (or cubes if making the chunky version). Sugar dissolves in water in a heavy wide pan; coconut goes in; cooks over medium heat 20 minutes until the water evaporates and the sugar caramelises around the coconut to a deep amber colour. Tips immediately onto greased parchment; spreads with a spatula; cools to set.
Carrots, sweet potatoes and prunes are layered in a baking dish with butter or oil, honey, brown sugar, orange juice and a stick of cinnamon. Covered and roasted low until the vegetables soften and absorb the sweet braising liquid, then uncovered for the last fifteen minutes so the top catches and the juices reduce to a syrup. The dish is sweet on purpose: it is the food of a hopeful festival.
Onions are softened with garlic and ras el hanout. Carrots, parsnips, potato and squash join in stages, root first, fast-cooking last. Chickpeas, tomatoes, stock and apricots simmer everything together. At the end, preserved lemon, fresh coriander and toasted almonds finish; honey rounds out the spice if needed.
A dough of flour, sesame oil, honey, sugar, soju (Korean rice wine), and a pinch of cinnamon and ginger rubs together, yakgwa dough is sandy, not stretchy (no gluten development is desired). Rests for 30 minutes. Rolls 8 mm thick; cuts into 3 cm flower shapes with a cutter. Pricks each piece with a fork or knife (helps the syrup soak in). Fries in two stages: gentle 110°C heat first to swell the dough; then 160°C to crisp. While frying, syrup of honey, rice syrup (or maple/corn), water and ginger simmers briefly. Hot fried cookies dunk into warm syrup; rest for 1 hour to absorb; lift onto a rack to drain excess.