Neil Perry: two simple stir-fries

These two stir-fries can be ready to eat in a jiffy – all you need to do is add some steamed rice and you have a fantastic dinner for two. For convenience, I buy an already roasted chicken, preferably one without stuffing. But if you happen to be passing Chinatown, or live near one of the many suburbs that have Chinese barbecue shops, you could opt for barbecue pork, soy chicken or roast duck instead. Oh, and if you don't like bean sprouts, just replace them with snow peas or sugar snap peas.

SERVES 2

Stir-fried roast chicken

3 tbsp peanut oil

¼ knob (about 3cm or 15g) of ginger, peeled and finely sliced

2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

1 red capsicum, julienned

½ roasted chicken, skin and flesh shredded, bones discarded

1 tbsp shaoxing wine

2 tbsp light mushroom soy sauce

2 tbsp plum sauce

2 tsp sugar

100ml fresh chicken stock

200g bean sprouts, trimmed

2 spring onions, julienned

½ cup coriander leaves

1. Heat a wok over high heat until smoking. Add the oil and, when hot, add the ginger, garlic, capsicum and chicken and stir-fry for 1 minute. Deglaze the wok with shaoxing wine, then add the soy sauce, plum sauce, sugar and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, add the bean sprouts and stir-fry for 30 seconds to heat through.

2. Spoon onto a large plate, garnish with spring onion and coriander, and serve.

Stir-fried spinach with garlic and chilli

2 tbsp vegetable oil

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 tsp mild chilli flakes

2 bunches English spinach, trimmed and rinsed

2 tbsp shaoxing wine

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp caster sugar

1. Heat a wok until it just starts smoking. Add the vegetable oil and, when hot, stir-fry the garlic and chilli until fragrant (10-20 seconds). Add the spinach and stir-fry for 30 seconds, then deglaze the wok with shaoxing wine. Add the sea salt and sugar and stir-fry for a further 1-2 minutes, until the spinach is tender but still bright green.

FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY William Meppem. STYLING Hannah Meppem. FOOD PREPARATION Nick Banbury.