A Chinese banquet - recipes

Published Feb 19, 2015

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Christine Miller, a cookery teacher at the Angela Day Kitchen, shares her favourite Chinese New Year recipes.

 

Today (February 19) marks the start of the Chinese New Year, which calls for 15 days of festivities – and food is an important feature of the celebrations, symbolising prosperity, good luck, health and long life for everyone at the table.

Every food, either by its appearance or its pronunciation, represents age-old Chinese beliefs.

Noodles denote long life and it is bad luck to cut them. Spring rolls signify wealth because they are shaped like gold bars.

Foods also have meaning because of what they sound like. For example, the word orange and tangerine sounds like the word for luck and wealth so these are freely passed around at New Year.

The word for fish, Yu, sounds like the words for wish and abundance so often a new year’s meal will end with a whole fish being served – a wish for abundance in the coming year.

Something sweet is always served as this indicates a rich sweet life, and a round shape signifies a family reunion.

Tofu would never be served at this time because its colour represents death.

Another New Year tradition is to hand out red envelopes or packets containing crisp new notes, always of an even number.

It is believed that fireworks at New Year drive away evil spirits and will bring good luck.

People will also typically wear new clothes from head to toe to symbolise a new beginning and having enough things to use and wear in the new year.

According to Chinese astrology, each year (starting from Chinese New Year) is associated with an animal sign, occurring in a 12-year cycle. For example 2015 is the Year of the Sheep… or Goat, depending on who you ask.

Even if you are not celebrating the Lunar New Year, you can enjoy these sumptuous dishes.

All the ingredients for the recipes are available from Chinese supermarkets in Cyrildene and The Chinese supermarket in the China Mall in Rivonia.

 

CANTONESE SPRING ROLLS

Makes 16-18

FILLING

6 dried Chinese mushrooms

250g pork fillet, finely shredded

15ml soya sauce

5ml sesame oil

5ml cornflour

10 medium prawns, cleaned and roughly chopped

15ml Chinese cooking wine or dry sherry

5ml cornflour

30ml oil

5ml chopped garlic

5ml chopped ginger

half a red pepper, finely diced

4 Chinese garlic chives, chopped

half a carrot, finely shredded

250ml finely shredded Chinese cabbage

30ml oyster sauce

15ml Chinese cooking wine

30ml soya sauce

5ml sugar

5ml sesame oil

spring roll wrappers

60ml flour mixed with water to form a paste

oil for deep frying

Soak the mushrooms in boiling water for about 20 minutes until soft. Remove the stems and slice finely.

Combine the pork, soya sauce, sesame oil and cornflour and marinate for 15 minutes.

Combine the prawns, cooking wine and cornflour and marinate for 15 minutes.

Heat the oil and fry the garlic and pork until nearly cooked. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Add a little more oilif necessary and fry the ginger and prawns until nearly done. Remove and set aside.

Fry the mushrooms, red pepper, chives, carrots and cabbage until soft.

Combine the oyster sauce, wine, soya sauce, sugar and sesameoil and add to the vegetables.

Return the pork and prawns to the pan and mix well.

Remove and cool the filling completely.

Place a wrapper on the counter so that it forms a diamond shape. Place a spoonful of filling near the base.

Bring the point over to enclose the filling,roll over once. Tuck in the sides and roll up completely. Use the flour paste to seal the end.

Heat the oil and deep-fry the spring rolls until golden brown. Drain on paper towel and serve hot.

Note: Spring roll wrappers are available frozen from supermarkets. Christine prefers the smaller size as it allows you to have more filling in proportion to pastry. If you can’t find small ones, then trim large ones to about a 12cm square.

 

STIR-FRIED PRAWNS WITH BLACK BEANS

Serves 4

1kg whole medium prawns, deveined

cornflour for coating

oil for deep frying

45ml peanut oil

5cm piece of ginger, cut into thin strips

15ml chopped garlic

45ml black bean paste

3 red chillies, seeded and chopped

10ml sugar

60ml chicken stock

30ml cornflour

15ml Chinese cooking wine

chopped coriander for garnishing

chopped spring onion for garnishing

Toss the prawns in cornflour to coat and deep-fry them until golden and cooked.

Drain on paper towel.

Heat the peanut oil in a wok and fry the ginger and garlic.

Add the black bean paste and chillies and fry until fragrant.

Add the prawns and toss to coat with the sauce. Add the sugar and stock and the cornflour mixed with the cooking wine.

Serve immediately, garnished with coriander and spring onions.

 

STEAMED FISH WITH GINGER

Serves 4

1kg whole fish, cleaned and scaled

salt

vegetable oil

julienne slices of fresh ginger

4-6 spring onions, cut into thin strips

90ml Chinese cooking wine

45ml soya sauce

5ml sugar

1 red chilli, seeded and cut into thin strips

45ml oil

coriander for serving

Score the fish twice on each side. Rub with salt and vegetable oil.

Place a few slices of ginger and spring onion on a plate large enough to hold the fish in a wok to steam.

Place the fish on top, then place more slices of ginger and spring onion on top of the fish.

Pour 45ml of the cooking wine over the fish. Place in a steamer and steam for 10-15 minutes until cooked and the flesh flakes easily when pierced with a fork.

Lift the fish from the plate and discard the ginger and spring onion. Place on a serving platter. Cover the top of the fish with more slices of ginger, spring onion and chilli strips.

Combine the rest of the wine, soya sauce and sugar, and mix. Pour this over the fish.

Heat the oil in a small pot and, when sizzling, pour it over the fish. Serve fish immediately, sprinkled with coriander.

 

PEANUT AND GINGER DUMPLINGS

Makes 18-20

SYRUP

4x250ml water

a 8cm piece of whole ginger, lightly pounded with a rolling pin

250ml granulated sugar

DOUGH

250g glutinous rice flour

180-250ml water

FILLING

100g finely ground peanuts

60ml castor sugar

60-80ml smoothpeanut butter

SYRUP: Place the water and ginger in a pot and bring to the boil. Boil rapidly for 10 minutes.

Add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Boil for 10 minutes. Remove and set aside to infuse for about an hour. Remove the gingerand serve with the dumplings.

DOUGH: Put the rice flour in a bowl and add enough water to make a thick paste that does not stick to your hands.

FILLING: Combine the peanuts and castor sugar and add enough peanut butter to form a thick paste. Roll the paste into about 18 balls.

Break off a piece of dough and flatten it to form a disc. Place a ball of peanut filling in the middle of the disc and fold over the edges to enclose the filling.

Roll the ball in your hands to smooth the dough and place on a tray lined with baking paper until ready to cook.

Fill a pot with water and bring to a simmer. Drop the dumplings into the water and, when they rise to the surface, they are done. This will take about 10 minutes.

Remove with a slotted spoon. Placethe dumplings in the ginger syrup and serve immediately.

 

LONGEVITY NOODLES

380g thin fresh Chinese noodles

10ml sesame oil

400g chicken breast fillets, thinly sliced

15ml shredded ginger

20ml Chinese cooking wine

5ml cornflour

20ml soya sauce

salt and white pepper

45ml peanut oil

2ml chilli flakes

750ml shredded cabbage

500ml fresh shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced

125ml finely sliced spring onion

60ml chopped coriander

Cook the noodles in boiling water for 2-3 minutes until just soft. Drain and rinse with cold water.

Drain well and return to the pot. Add the sesame oil and toss to coat. Set aside.

Combine the chicken, ginger, 5ml of the cooking wine, cornflour, 15ml of the soya sauce and seasoning. Then set aside.

Heat 20ml of the peanut oil in a wok and fry the chilli flakes for a few seconds.

Add the chicken mixture and stir-fry until chicken is lightly browned. Remove and set aside.

Add 15ml oil to the wok and fry the cabbage, and mushrooms. Add to the chicken mixture.

Add 10ml of oil tothe wok and add the noodles.

Add the remaining cooking wine and soya sauce and toss to combine.

Return the chicken vegetable mixture to the wok and toss well to combine. Adjust seasoning and serve sprinkled with spring onions and coriander.

 

BLACK BEAN AND CABBAGE DUMPLINGS

Makes about 30

20ml vegetable oil

4x250ml finely shredded Chinese cabbage

10ml crushed garlic

400g pork mince

50ml black bean paste

1 egg white

45ml chopped chives

salt and white pepper

Gyoza dumpling wrappers

DIPPING SAUCE

45ml Chinese black vinegar

a few drops of chilli oil

a few slices of finely shredded ginger

1 red chilli, finely sliced

15ml chopped coriander

Heat the oil and fry the cabbage and garlic for about 5 minutes until soft. Remove and cool.

Combine with the mince, bean paste, egg white and chives and season well.

Place a wrapper on the counter and place a spoonful of filling in the middle. Dampen the edge of the wrapper with water. Fold the wrapper over to form a half-moon.

Place the dumplings in a steamer basket and steam for 8-10 minutes until cooked. Serve immediately with dipping sauce.

DIPPING SAUCE: Combine ingredients and mix well.

Note: Gyoza wrappers are available frozen from Chinese supermarkets.

Angela Day, The Star

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