Gong Xi Fa Cai {Happy Chinese New Year}
&
Happy Valentine's Day!
How wonderful that both celebrations should fall on the same day! The Year of the Tiger, 4708 begins. I am thrilled because Chinese New Year is my excuse to cook and also feast on some of my favorite dishes such as steamed whole fish, spicy crabs & spring rolls. These foods are not only eaten randomly but are rooted in symbolism.
Traditionally, the whole family gathers on the eve for a New Year's Eve feast, which is this evening. In addition to a mouthwatering fare of pork & duck & other delicacies, it is customary to serve a whole fish with head & tail intact at the end of the evening meal symbolizing a wish for wealth & abundance
in the coming year. The word for fish, "Yue," sounds like the words both for wealth and
abundance.
The next morning, gifts and money in little red packets called Ang Pao in Taiwanese, Hong Bao in Mandarin & Lai See in Cantonese are exchanged between friends & family.
I am looking forward to this evening meal - the way I see it we can all do with more luck & prosperity this year!
The main ingredients for this dish are - whole firm white fish (tilapia or sea bass), shallots, garlic cloves, green onions, fresh ginger root, 2 red Thai chillies, vegetable oil, soy sauce, sugar & cilantro for garnish.
If you noticed I didn't mention that you need a steamer - that is because I don't have one either and the home grown version that we'll be using does the job just fine.
In fact, I took a visit to a 'no-names' gourmet cooking store this evening and promptly set out to inspect their steamers. Sorry to say but what a joke!
The steamers they featured were so tiny that the presumption is that the only foods that are going to be cooked are those that are going to be cut up into tiny little pieces and feed about two people! Not to mention, of course, they were priced upwards of 80 bucks. So, as far as I'm concerned, my home grown version is just fine - if it works for Grandma, it works for my Mum & it works for me, it'll will work for you!
All you need is a large circular flat bottomed pan & the springy side wall of a spring foam. Other than that a plate for the fish that should be smaller than the diameter of the pan (so that steam can pass through the sides of the plate)
Add about 6 cups of water to the pan, making sure it is not going to overflow out of the pan. On high heat bring the water to boil.
Fish - Make sure the fish is completely defrosted. Wash thoroughly and make sure it is scaled & gutted.
Take a sharp chef's knife or slicer and cut long diagonal slash marks on each side of the fish - about 3 per side. Place on a microwave safe plate.
Ginger - Cut into thin slices & julienne
Garlic cloves - Peel & finely slice into circles
Shallots - Peel & finely slice
Green onions - Finely slice on the diagonal
Shitake mushrooms - Cut & discard stem. Finely slice the tops.
Place the plate with the fish on it on the spring foam pan in our home grown steamer. Now usually, we'd just be able to place a dome lid on the pan and be done. However, my fish is a massive 3.5 lbs and it is larger than the plate.
So I am going to use some aluminum foil and create a sort of dome over the fish trying very hard not to squish the foil down on the fish. Also make sure than the foil is crimped along the edges of the pan so most of the steam remains & circulates in the steamer.
Now allow the fish to steam at about 6-6.5 mins/lb. I needed to steam mine for about 20-22 minutes before the fish was white, flaky & cooked to the bone.
Meanwhile, begin working on the sauce.
Now there are generally two methods traditionally followed - either the sauce is mixed in a bowl, left alone to marinate for about 15 minutes & then poured over the fish allowing it to steam with the fish (we have clearly opted not to do this) and the second method is the one I've used today - the sauce is prepared separately and poured over the already steamed fish & is at this point ready to serve.
I prefer cooking the sauce separately because it allows us to season the oil with shallots & garlic which infuses so much flavor into the sauce.
On medium-high heat, bring vegetable oil to fuming. Add the sliced garlic and saute for a few seconds till it begins to brown. Add finely sliced shallots and stir. Saute until the shallots begin to turn golden brown - about 7-10 minutes.
Add the finely sliced Thai red chillies and the stir for a few seconds. Add the sliced mushrooms and saute for a few minutes till the mushrooms wilt.
Once the mushrooms have wilted, add the thinly sliced ginger and stir. Saute for about a minute and add 3/4 cup water. Once it begins to simmer, add the soy sauce and sugar. Taste and adjust the salt. In my case we didn't need any salt. Simmer for a few minutes. Take off the heat & set aside.
The sauce will taste quite strong & savory which is what you want because it will taste right once eaten with the fish. Also the sauce is more like a broth which is how it is supposed to be. This sauce is not meant to be thickened with cornstarch.
Once the fish is thoroughly cooked, remove the foil. With 2 spatulas,gently lift the fish and place onto a serving platter. Pour the pan juices that have collected in the plate in the steamer, over the fish.
Spoon the solids in the sauce over the fish and pour the sauce all over the fish. Sprinkle sliced green onions along its length and finish with a sprig of cilantro.
Serve as part of a meal with steamed white rice.
The flaky moist fish is delicious with the slightly spicy savory sauce. The saltiness from the soy sauce balances well with hint of sweetness from the sugar. The sauce is especially delicious with the rice. This always is a comforting meal no matter what the occasion but tonight it is all the more special.
So here's wishing all of you, our family & friends every happiness, prosperity & wealth this New Year.
!Gong Xi Fa Cai!
"Make happy those who are near, And those who are far will come"
- Chinese proverb
Recipe for
AUSPICIOUS STEAMED FISH FOR CHINESE NEW YEAR
Preparation time - 10 minutes
Cooking time - about 20 minutes
Serves 4-6
Shopping list:
Approx 3 lb whole white fish - tilapia or sea bass
1" fresh ginger root
5 garlic cloves
2 Thai red chillies
5 shallots
1/4 cup dark soy sauce
3/4 cup water
5 tbs vegetable oil
cilantro leaves for garnish
2 stalks green onions for garnish
fish pan juices (from steaming fish)
Preparation -
Fish - Make sure the fish is completely defrosted. Wash thoroughly and make sure it is scaled & gutted.
Take a sharp chef's knife or slicer and cut long diagonal slash marks on each side of the fish - about 3 per side. Place on a microwave safe plate.
Ginger - Cut into thin slices & julienne
Garlic cloves - Peel & finely slice into circles
Shallots - Peel & finely slice
Green onions - Finely slice on the diagonal
Shitake mushrooms - Cut & discard stem. Finely slice the tops.
To prepare a steamer -
Use a large circular pan & the springy side bit of a spring
foam. Other than that a plate for the fish that should be smaller than
the diameter of the pan (so that steam can pass through the sides of
the plate)
Add about 6 cups of water, making sure it is not going to overflow out of the pan. On high heat bring to boil.
Cooking method -
Fish - Place
the plate on the spring foam pan in our home grown steamer. If the fish to too large & a lid won't fit, use some aluminum foil and create a sort of dome over the
fish trying very hard not to squish the foil down on the fish.
Also make sure than the foil is crimped along the edges of the pan so most of the steam remains & circulates in the steamer.
Now allow the fish to steam at about 6-6.5 mins/lb. I needed to leave mine alone for about 20-22 minutes before the fish was white, flaky & cooked to the bone.
On medium-high heat, bring vegetable oil to fuming.
Add the sliced garlic and saute for a few seconds till it begins to brown.
Add finely sliced shallots and stir. Saute until the shallots begin to turn golden brown - about 7-10 minutes.
Add the finely sliced Thai red chillies and the stir for a few seconds. Add the sliced mushrooms and saute for a few minutes till the mushrooms wilt.
Once the mushrooms have wilted, add the thinly sliced ginger and stir. Saute for about a minute and add 3/4 cup water.
Once it begins to simmer, add the soy sauce and sugar. Taste and adjust the salt. & sugar. Take off the heat & set aside.
To serve -
Once the fish is thoroughly cooked, remove the foil. With 2 spatulas,gently lift the fish and place onto a serving platter. Pour the pan juices that have collected in the plate in the steamer, over the fish.
Spoon the solids in the sauce over the fish and pour the sauce all over the fish. Sprinkle sliced green onions along its length and finish with a sprig of cilantro.
Serve as part of a meal with steamed white rice.
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