Kitchen 101 - What’s in the Fridge?

Turning Leftovers into Something Worth Eating

We’ve all asked it…

👉 “What’s for dinner?”

But maybe that’s the wrong question.

A better one?

👉 “What can I make with what I’ve already got?”

Because more often than not, the answer is sitting right there in your fridge.

What We Found (The Starting Point)

After a week of cooking, filming, and prepping, there were a few things left over:

• Cooked jasmine rice
• Shredded cabbage
• Lemon wedges
• 2 pork loin cutlets
• 3 poached eggs
• Edamame beans
• Chicken stock
• Coconut cream
• Saucy Wench Garlic & Eschalot Vinaigrette

Plus a couple of pantry staples:

• Onion
• Mushrooms
• Sesame oil

👉 Not a “recipe”… but plenty to work with.

The Thinking (This Is the Key)

This isn’t about following a recipe.

It’s about:

• Using what’s there
• Building flavour step-by-step
• Letting the dish evolve

👉 In this case… it pointed towards a stir fry / fried rice hybrid

Let’s Get Cooking (One Pan, One Idea)

Step 1 – Start with the Pork

• Trim the fat from the pork cutlets
• Slice into strips

👉 Into the wok:

• Render the fat first (flavour base)
• Add pork, stir fry quickly
• Remove and set aside

Step 2 – Build the Base

• Add sesame oil
• Add sliced onion
• Add garlic & eschalot

Let it heat and release the aroma.

Step 3 – Add the Eggs (This Is a Good Trick)

• Add the cooked poached eggs straight into the wok
• Break them up as they heat

👉 Instant protein + texture through the dish

Step 4 – Vegetables In

• Cabbage
• Mushrooms

Stir fry for a few minutes to bring everything together.

Step 5 – Rice + Edamame

• Add cooked jasmine rice
• Add edamame beans

👉 Break the rice up as it heats—
as it absorbs moisture, it separates nicely.

Step 6 – Bring It Together

• Add a splash of chicken stock
• Let it cook through

Then:

• Add a touch of coconut cream

👉 Not too much - just enough to round it out

You end up with something:
👉 Part fried rice
👉 Part risotto

And that’s perfectly fine.

Step 7 – Seasoning (This Matters)

Taste first.

Needs salt?

👉 Instead of salt, add thick sweet soy
(Ketjap Benteng Manis or similar)

Chef Ian tip:
👉 This is something worth keeping in your fridge—adds depth and balance instantly. Easily found in the Asian section of most supermarkets.

Step 8 – Finish

• Add pork back in
• Toss through

👉 Remember:
The pork isn’t the hero—the flavour is

To Serve

Finish with:

• A spoon of Saucy Wench Garlic & Eschalot Vinaigrette
• A light drizzle of sweet soy
• Add wedge of lemon

👉 Done.

A Note on “Mixing Cuisines”

This dish moves between styles:

• Stir fry
• Fried rice
• A touch of risotto thinking

👉 And that’s OK.

Because:

👉 Flavour comes first—not labels

Why This Matters

This isn’t just a meal.

It’s:

• Reducing waste
• Using what you’ve already paid for
• Cooking without needing to shop again

👉 That’s where smart cooking lives.

From the Kitchen…

This one wasn’t planned.

It came from looking in the fridge and thinking:

👉 “There’s too much here to throw out… what can we make?”

And that’s often where the best meals come from.

Final Thought from Chef Ian

Don’t start with:
👉 “What do I feel like?”

Start with:
👉 “What have I got?”

Then build from there.

Because once you learn to cook like this…

👉 You’ll never be stuck for dinner again.

Chef Ian

▶️ Watch It Come Together

Follow along with Chef Ian and see how this comes together step-by-step in the wok.