Recipes from our Dream of Shanghai Supper Club

Amid the blossom pink tones of Shan Shui, renowned guest chef Jason Li dazzled with his exclusive Dream of Shanghai Supper Club, bringing a taste of Shanghainese tradition and seasonality to the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations. Supporting him were experts from The Orientalist Spirits, who curated a beautiful pairing of flavours – some of which you can make yourself using the recipes below.

The perfect aperitivo for your guests, this fiery gin cocktail incorporates sweet and sour flavourings for a refreshing take on the classic G&T.

You’ll need:

Serves one

• 45 ml Orientalist Gunpowder Gin
• 45 ml Roselle sour plum tea
• 60 ml tonic water
• 1 dash orange bitters (optional)

Method

1. Fill a highball glass with crushed or cubed ice.
2. Carefully add all the ingredients and stir.
3. Serve with a garnish of orange peel.

With a name that literally translates to “saliva chicken”, this recipe is simple to make yet always a certified crowd-pleaser when served alongside other small plates at the table.

You’ll need:

Serves four

• 1 kg whole chicken
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tbsp Chinese Shaoxing rice wine
• 2 tbsp spring onion
• 2 tbsp ginger
• 1 tbsp garlic
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp Chinese Chinkiang vinegar
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tbsp chili oil
• 2 tbsp Sichuan pepper oil
• Handful of sesame seeds and peanuts

Method

1. Rub the chicken with salt and leave for 20 minutes. Prepare a large pot of cold water and put the chicken in whole – the cold water needs to cover the chicken completely. Add the salt, Chinese Shaoxing wine, spring onion and ginger.

2. Cover with a lid put on a high heat until the water is boiling, occasionally clearing any floating froth that appears.

3. Turn the heat down to a moderate temperature for 12 minutes. Afterwards, take the pot off the heat but don’t remove the lid – leave it for 10 minutes and the remaining steam will cook the whole chicken.

4. Take the cooked chicken out of the pot and soak it in ice-cold water. Chop the chicken into small pieces and place into a large mixing bowl.

5. In a separate bowl, mix the soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, vinegar, sesame oil and pour over the chicken strips. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, peanuts and chopped green onion. Drizzle the chili oil and Sichuan pepper oil, then serve.

Close your evening with this aromatic alternative to the classic Manhattan cocktail, incorporating bitters and award-winning whisky for a luscious post-dinner digestivo.

You will need:

Serves one

• 60 ml Orientalist Dragon Whisky
• 15 ml sweet vermouth
• 5 ml Maraschino liqueur
• 5 ml Gentiane liqueur
• 5 ml Cynar
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters

Method

1. Use ice to chill a shallow coupe.

2. Discard the ice and carefully pour in the ingredients one at a time. Stir to combine.

3. Finish with a garnish of cherry peel. For something zestier, use orange peel.