From Fuchsia Dunlop Food of Sichuan

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1 cup (150g) fresh peas or frozen peas

5 tbsp ricemeal

7 tbsp (100ml) stock

1 tbsp cooking oil

1.5 tbsp Sichuan chile bean paste

0.75 lb (350g) pork belly with skin

2 tsp white or red fermented tofu, mashed with its brine

2 tsp Shaoxing wine

1 tsp finely chopped ginger

0.5 tsp dark soy sauce

0.5 tsp superfine sugar

0.25 tsp ground white pepper

1-2 tbsp thinly sliced scallion greens

Salt to taste

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1. Place the peas in a bowl and add 0.25 tsp salt, 1 tbsp ricemeal and 2 tbsp stock. Mix well.

2. Heat the oil in a seasoned wok over medium heat; add the chile bean paste and stir-fry gently until the oil is red and fragrant. Remove from the wok and set aside.

3. Cut the pork into slices like thickly cut bacon, about 4 inches (10cm) long and 0.125 inch (3-4mm) thick, with an edge of skin.

4. Place in a bowl and add the fermented tofu, Shaoxing wine, ginger, soy sauce, sugar and pepper, together with the chile bean paste and its cooking oil. Stir in the remaining ricemeal and stock, plus 0.25 tsp salt, and mix well.

5. Arrange the pork slices over the sides and base of your steaming bowl in an overlapping pattern, leaving no holes, with the strip of skin on each piece of meat resting on the bowl.

6. Fill the bowl with the peas, spreading them out evenly so the top layer is fairly flat.

7. Cover the bowl with foil and, for easy removal from the steamer, tie up like a parcel with a piece of twine.

8. Bring plenty of water to a boil in your wok or steamer, set the bowl on the rack, cover with a lid and steam over medium heat for 2 hours, topping up the water as needed.

9. Alternatively, pressure cook at high pressure for 30 minutes, then allow the pressure to reduce naturally.

10. When you wish to serve the pork, remove the bowl from the steamer. Cover with a deep plate and swiftly invert.

11. Remove the bowl, leaving a bowl-shaped mound of meat and peas.

12. If the meat subsides slightly in its tenderness, don't worry—it will still taste fantastic.

13. Sprinkle with the scallion greens.