Shanghai red-braised pork

Omit the eggs and increase the amount of pork to 1kg. Use only 1?? tbsp light soy sauce, 1?? tbsp plus 1 tsp dark soy sauce, 2?? tbsp sugar and 500ml hot water.

Red-braised pork with chestnuts

Add a quantity of peeled, cooked chestnuts roughly equal in volume to the pork when you reheat and reduce the stew. This is a scrumptious variation made by Zhejiang chef Zhu Yinfeng.

Ningbo red-braised pork with salted fish

Omit the eggs, and use only 1 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tbsp sugar and 500ml stock or water. Soak some dried yellow croaker in cold water to soften, then cut it into bite-sized pieces. Add the fish to the pork when you reheat and reduce the stew. Garnish with a few lengths of spring onion greens.

From Land of Fish and Rice, 26 pounds ($32) from Bloomsbury.