He has no professional degree, no family bank balance, but Chef Jerry Wong believes in 'shaping his own destiny'.

Despite not making it to the hotel management institute in Pusa, Jerry started his career with a couple of stints with a few restaurants in Kolkata and Delhi.

And when he is not cooking, he is either collecting artefacts or feeding his fish, since 'they give me good, calm and soothing vibes'.

He says:

Looking back, I have no regrets about not acquiring a formal degree.

After all, there is nothing like an on-the-job-training.

My passion for cooking was evident right from childhood. In fact, I was the only obedient one in the family who helped my grandmother chop and cut vegetables.

In return, she taught me all the authentic homemade recipes that are a source of my livelihood today.

In fact, one of the greatest compliments I got was when former Jammu & Kashmir chief minister Farookh Abdullah visited my restaurant just to taste my food. He then offered me the chance to open an outlet in J & K, so that he could savour my food each day."

This New Year, my wife cooked a grand meal. First, homemade khana, which is first offered to the dead, then great shopping, and then some Bollywood masala food!

My wife is a great cook -- I love the Indian food that she prepares. It is something that she has amazingly mastered.

But the best cuisine, of course, is Chinese. Of all cuisines known worldwide, Chinese definitely tops the chart.

This is because the food is light on the stomach, with very little spice and is easy to digest.

But, most important, Chinese flavours have the ability to adapt to any tastebud, what with the Indianisation of Chinese food.

Of course, there is a lot more that needs to be learnt about the ingredients: Chinese food is not just about noodles, fried rice and sliced pork with vegetables. There is more to it, from squids to snails mixed with the varied styles of cooking.

Chef Jerry's Recipes

Crispy Thai Fish

~ Ingredients
1 fillet sole (or you can use bekhti, a river fish popular among Bengalis)
100 gm flour
1 big onion, julienned (finely sliced)
1 big onion, made into a paste
1 tsp garlic paste
1 tbsp coriander paste
1 tsp green chilly paste
1 whole tomato, julienned
1 tbsp chilly sauce
1 tbsp soya sauce
1 lemon
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Oil as required
Water as required

~ Method

Split the sole and stuff it with a bit of the onion paste, garlic paste and coriander paste.

Dip the sole in flour batter (mix a bit of the flour with a little water).

Use the rest of the flour to coat the fish dry.

Heat oil in a pan and deep fry the fish till it is crisp.

Take the fish off the gas.

Cut it into six to eight pieces and place them on a platter.

In another frying pan, heat oil.

Add julienned onion and tomato, and some garlic paste, green chilly paste and the chilli sauce, along with the soya sauce, salt and pepper into the oil.

When it thickens, take off the gas and spread it over the fish platter.

Squeeze the juice of a lemon on the platter, use the rind as garnish.

Serve hot.

Buddha's Delight

~ Ingredients
200 gm pakchoi (or bokchoi, Chinese white cabbage)
1 broccoli head
1 tbsp garlic, crushed
1 tbsp soya sauce
1 tbsp oil

~ Method
Clean both pakchoi and broccoli and break them into florets.

In a frying pan, heat the oil and stir fry the crushed garlic along with the pakchoi and broccoli.

Stir for a minute, adding salt, pepper and soya sauce towards the end.

Remove immediately after adding the sauce and serve hot.

Text: Aditya Vashist

Chef Liang Xiao Qing | Chef Chew Beng Huat | Chef Jerry Wong

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