Posts Tagged Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year — The Finale!
Posted by castironidaho in Events on March 5, 2011
So as it turns out, Chinese New Year is a two week long celebration! Who knew? I spent this past weekend in San Francisco with a couple of girlfriends, and Chinatown was hosting it’s annual Chinese New Year Parade. This two week long celebration is just perfect for me, because, as you may remember, our beautiful friend Jenn Atkinson hosted a Chinese New Year (Kickoff) Party about 2 weeks ago, and I still haven’t gotten around to posting all of the photos and recipes! (We did post some of them, see Happy Shrimp Stir Fry, Chinese Sticky Rice, and Baby Bok Choi with Garlic and Shrimp.)
Jenn had studied in China during college, and payed attention to the cuisine and its creation, to say the least. She has a collection of recipes she’s collected and we were lucky enough to get her to share some of them with us. The key to Chinese cooking appears to be a wide selection of sauces and condiments from your local Asian market. Jenn says that all Chinese dishes use similar ingredients, but may taste very different!
Here’s Jenn’s menu:
Shrimp Stir Fry
Baby Bok Choy with Garlic
Chinese Sticky Rice
Fried Shrimp and Pork Potstickers
Steamed Pork & Rice Balls
Yue Xiang Eggplant
Hot Sesame Beef
Mango Tapioca
Jenn set up her party buffet style, and the Cast Iron team went over early to help her cook. This was the best part. As different dishes were ready, she added them to the table, so even though it was self-serve, it felt a lot like a multi-course meal. I also loved the tiny Asian bowls that could be refilled. As more guests arrived, some of them were busy in the kitchen helping to prepare some of the more time-intensive dishes, such as the pork balls. (Last year we made pot stickers!) For cooks like us, this is a great party activity, everybody learns something, and it helps the hostess get those “fancy” appetizers completed without staying up all night the night before. Great idea, Jenn!
Chinese Steamed Pearl Balls
Posted by castironidaho in Recipes on March 5, 2011
Chinese Steamed Pearl Balls
Zhēnzhū Qiú
Present steamed pearl balls with a quick stir-fried green vegetable or a salad for a nice lunch. Ground chicken thigh or turkey can be substituted for the pork. In Cantonese, this dumpling is called jun jiu kao.
Makes about 24 balls, serving 6 to 8 as a snack
¾ cup sticky (sweet) rice, short-grain or long-grain variety
½ teaspoon plus generous ¼ teaspoon salt
3/4 pound ground pork, fattier kind preferred
11/2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoons finely diced water chestnut, jicama, or carrot
2 scallions (white and green parts), minced
1 pinch of white pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry
1 teaspoon light (regular) soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon canola or peanut oil
1 large egg
Light (regular) soy sauce
Chile Garlic Sauce, store bought or homemade (recipe is on the Viet World Kitchen site)
1. Put the rice in a bowl and add water to cover by 1 inch. Let stand for at least 2 hours (or even overnight) at room temperature.
2. Drain the rice in a mesh strainer, shaking the strainer to expel excess water. Let aside to dry while you prepare the pork mixture. Drier grains adhere to the meat mixture better.
3. Combine the pork, ginger, water chestnut, and scallion in a bowl. Stir and mash with a fork to combine well.
4. In a small bowl, stir together the generous 1/2 teaspoon salt, white pepper, sugar, cornstarch, rice wine, soy sauce, sesame oil, and canola oil. Add the egg and beat to combine well. Pour over the meat mixture and stir vigorously to create soft, sticky mass. There should be about 13/4 cups.
5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Use two teaspoons to scoop up a generous tablespoon of the pork, then pass the pork back and forth between the spoons to form a neat ball about 1 inch in diameter. Deposit it on the prepared baking sheet before repeating. You should have about 24 balls total. Freeze the baking sheet for 10 minutes to firm up the meatballs.
6. Meanwhile, line steamer trays with parchment paper and set aside. Get the water boiling for steaming and lower the heat to keep it hot and ready.
7. For good measure, shake the strainer again to rid excess water. If the rice glistens with moisture, blot it with paper towels. Transfer to a bowl and toss with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Put about 1/3 of the rice on a plate.
8. Use your hands to pick up one of the balls of pork, roll it between your hands to smooth any rough edges, then roll it in the rice. Aim to coat the surface with a single layer of rice. Place on the prepared steamer tray. Repeat with the remaining balls, spacing them about 1/2 inch apart. Overflow balls can be put on parchment paper lined baking sheets.
9. Steam the dumplings over boiling water for about 20 minutes, until the rice is translucent and the pork is done. Detach the trays and place each on a platter. As the pearl balls cool, they take on a pink cast from the pork below the rice.
Serve immediately with soy sauce and hot chile garlic sauce. Refrigerate leftover dumplings, return them to room temperature, and steam them for about 5 minutes to reheat.
Baby Bok Choi with Garlic and Shrimp
Posted by castironidaho in Recipes on February 7, 2011
More from Jenn’s Chinese New Year Party! And more for all you shrimp lovers. This one made me SO EXCITED to grow bok choi this spring. It’s usually one of the first things we have ready. –Katie
Baby Bok Choy with Garlic and Shrimp
Ingredients:
4 oz. bok choy mui/baby bok choi (cleaned and rinsed)
1/8 teaspoon salt or to taste
1 tablespoon oil
1/4 cup peeled baby shrimps
3 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
Method:
Heat up a wok with the cooking oil and saute the chopped garlic until light brown or aromatic. Add the baby shrimps and stir-fry until the shrimps are half-cooked. Add in a pinch of salt to the shrimp, and then follow by the baby bok choy. Quickly stir-fry the vegetables, dish out and serve hot. Do not overcook your vegetables. They should retain the vitality and crunchiness.
Chinese Sticky Rice
Posted by castironidaho in Recipes on February 7, 2011
Chinese Sticky Rice
Ingredients:
4 cups sweet rice
2 cups jasmine rice
25 Chinese dried shiitake mushrooms
6 Chinese sausages (lop chong)
1 pound lean Chinese barbecued pork, store-bought
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
5 cups low sodium chicken stock
3 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 cup chopped scallions
1 cup chopped cilantro
Directions:
1) In a bowl, soak the mushrooms in warm water for about 30 minutes, until softened. In a 6-quart stockpot, wash all the rice in several changes of cold water until the water runs clear. Soak the combined sweet and jasmine rice for 1 hour in enough cold water to cover.
2) When softened, drain and squeeze dry the mushrooms, reserving the liquid. Cut off and discard stems and chop the caps.
3) Chop sausage and barbecued pork and set aside separately.
4) Heat large wok or skillet over high heat until hot but not smoking. Add oil and Chinese sausage, and stir-fry 1 minute. Add the mushrooms and barbecued pork, and stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes, until heated through. Add 1 tablespoon soy sauce, stir to combine, remove from heat, and set aside.
5) Drain rice. Add chicken broth and enough the reserved mushrooms liquid to measure 1 cup, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook 10 minutes. Uncover and quickly scoop Chinese sausage mixture onto top of rice. Immediately cover and continue cooking the rice 25 to 30 minutes, or until broth is completely absorbed and rice is tender. Let stand 5 minutes. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce, oyster sauce, scallions, cilantro and stir to combine. Adjust seasonings to taste. Serve and enjoy.
Makes about 4 quarts. Serves 18 to 20 as part of a multicourse meal.
Happy Shrimp Stir Fry
Posted by castironidaho in Recipes on February 4, 2011
We attended a wonderful Chinese New Year Celebration last night at the home of our friend, neighbor, and Marty’s CSA member, Jenn Atkinson. Lots of delicious Chinese food was served! Here’s one recipe, courtesy of Jenn. More coming soon!
Happy Shrimp Stir Fry
Ingredients
For the sauce (mix together in a bowl)
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth
- 3 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar (or white vinegar)
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
For the shrimp
- 1 pound raw shrimp, deveined
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons canola, vegetable or peanut cooking oil
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- 1-2 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1 tablespoon finely sliced green onion
- Handful of shredded iceberg lettuce
Method
1 Pat the shrimp very dry and place them in a bowl. Toss with the cornstarch.
2 Heat a wok or large frying pan on high heat until a bead of water instantly sizzles and evaporates upon contact. Add the cooking oil and swirl to coat. Add the cornstarch coated shrimp to the wok and spread out in one layer. Let fry untouched for 1 minute. Flip and fry other side for another minute. Remove the shrimp from the frying pan, keeping as much oil in the pan as possible.
3 Return the pan to the stove. Add an additional teaspoon of cooking oil to the pan if needed. When the pan is hot, turn the heat to medium and add the garlic and the ginger and fry for 15-30 seconds until fragrant.
4 Pour in the sauce mixture and bring to boil. Add the cooked shrimp back into the wok and let simmer for an additional minute until the shrimp are cooked through. Serve on bed of shredded lettuce and top with garnish of sliced green onions.
Serves 4.
