Crispy sticky rice sandwich with Hunanese toppings

Rinse the sticky rice a few times until the water has lost about half its opacity, then soak in cool water seven to eight hours or overnight.

Chili fried dou gan: get the wok piping hot, shut off the heat, add about two tablespoons of oil and swirl for a non-stick surface.

On low, fry the minced garlic and ginger about 30 seconds until fragrant, add a tablespoon of chopped chilies and fry about a minute.

Up the flame to high, add 150 g diced dou gan and fry 30 seconds, swirl in the Shaoxing wine, fry 30 seconds, add the soy sauce down the sides, then the salt, MSG and white pepper.

Chili fried chili: fry a clove of minced garlic and a touch of ginger in a tablespoon of oil until fragrant, add 150 g of chili peppers and fry over medium about 30 seconds.

Up the flame, swirl in half a tablespoon of Shaoxing, then after 30 seconds half a tablespoon of soy sauce, then the seasoning.

Stir fried seaweed: soak 15 g dried kelp in cool water 30 minutes, wash off stray sand, roll it up and slice into half centimetre slivers, chopping once the other way.

Fry the minced garlic, ginger and sliced fresh chili in half a tablespoon of oil over a low flame about 30 seconds until fragrant, add the kelp and fry one minute on high.

Swirl in a teaspoon of soy sauce, shut off the heat, toss in the seasoning and half a teaspoon of toasted sesame oil.

Sesame fried chili flakes: fry a tablespoon of sesame seeds with three tablespoons of chili flake in two tablespoons of oil over medium-low 5 to 6 minutes, until the flakes deepen in colour, then add the seasoning and half a teaspoon of soy sauce.

Potato slivers: cut 400 g of peeled potato into 3mm sheets then 3mm slivers, wash thoroughly to remove surface starch and drain in a strainer.

Blanch the potato in bubbling water one minute, then rinse with cool water to stop the cooking.

Fry two cloves of minced garlic and about three sliced dried chilis in two tablespoons of oil on low 30 seconds, add the potato, up the flame to high and stir fry half a minute; roll in half a tablespoon of wine, then after half a minute a tablespoon of soy sauce, then the seasoning.

Brush the tamagoyaki pan liberally with oil, strain the soaked sticky rice and lay it in.

Spoon in about six tablespoons of water and about an eighth teaspoon of salt, cover, and cook over a medium low flame, moving the pan around every couple of minutes.

Peek once at the ten minute mark and adjust; at fifteen minutes the rice should be cooked.

Uncover and crisp over a medium flame about ten minutes, until golden brown, then shut off the heat.

Top with a cube of fermented bean curd spread on, a teaspoon of the sesame chili, two tablespoons of dou gan, a tablespoon each of chili fried chili and seaweed, a generous sprinkle of fishwort or cilantro and a good heap of the potato stir fry, then fold it over.

Variation, family sized: oil a 14 inch cast iron pan, spread over about 210 g of soaked sticky rice with a cup and a quarter of water and half a teaspoon of salt, cover and cook over medium low; it takes about double the time, thirty minutes to cook and twenty to crisp.

Slice the large one in half, cut each half into eighths like a pizza, top one slice with the toppings and cover it with another.