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Happy Lunar New Year! This year, we’re celebrating the Lunar New Year the best way we know how — by making all of the best recipes!
This Lunar New Year is starting out with a roar! This year is the year of the Tiger, said to bring in bravery, courage, and strength. I think that’s something we all need. Let’s ring in the Lunar New Year with our favorite authentic cuisine.
Chinese Steamed Fish with Ginger Shallot Sauce
Thank you Recipetineats for the recipe!
Ingredients
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2 12-13 oz. bream or snapper fish (gutted, scaled, and cleaned)
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2 stems of shallots (diagonally julienned)
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A 4×3 cm piece of ginger
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2 Tbsp Japanese cooking sake
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2 pinches of salt
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3 tsp soy sauce
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2 tsp sesame oil
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4 Tbsp oil
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Red chili
Directions
1. Cut two slashes on each side of the fish and cut through the bone. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of sake onto each fish. Steam or bake the fish using your method of choice.
2. While the fish is cooking, heat the oil over medium-high heat until it’s hot. Transfer the fish onto serving plates and top with shallots and ginger.
3. Sprinkle with salt and drizzle the soy sauce and sesame oil over it. Top with red chili and serve with rice and steamed Asian greens.
Spring Rolls
Thank you Recipetineats for the recipe!
Ingredients
Filling:
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1 Tbsp oil
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2 garlic cloves (minced)
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13 oz. pork mince
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6 dried shiitake mushrooms (soaked in boiling water)
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1 + ½ cups shredded carrots
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1 + ½ cups bean sprouts
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1 + ½ cups shredded green cabbage
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1 tsp cornflour
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1 + ½ Tbsp oyster sauce
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2 tsp soy sauce
Spring Rolls:
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15-20 spring roll wrappers
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2 tsp cornflour
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1 Tbsp water
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Oil for frying
Sweet and Sour Sauce:
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2 tsp cornflour
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2 Tbsp water
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½ cup apple cider vinegar
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⅓ cup brown sugar
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2 Tbsp ketchup
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2 tsp soy sauce
Directions
1. Heat the oil in a skillet or wok over high heat. Add the garlic, stir quickly, and then add the pork. Cook, breaking the pork up as you go until it turns white.
2. Add the carrots, bean sprouts, cabbage, and mushrooms. Cook for 3 minutes or until the vegetables have wilted. Add the cornflour, soy sauce, and oyster sauce. Cook for 1 minute or until the liquid has gone. The filling shouldn’t be watery, but slightly sticky. Allow it to cool.
3. Mix the cornflour and water in a small bowl to make the spring roll.
4. Carefully peel off one spring roll wrapper and keep the others covered under a damp tea towel.
5. Place the wrapper with the smooth side down in a diamond position. Place a heaping spoon of filling on the bottom of the wrapper. Roll it up halfway, fold the sides down, then finish rolling. Use the cornflour sludge to seal.
6. Put enough oil in a wok or large saucepan so it’s double the height of the spring rolls. Heat on medium-high until it’s hot.
7. Carefully place the spring rolls in the oil and cook, turning them occasionally until they turn deep golden brown — about one and a half to two minutes. Transfer the rolls to the paper towels to drain.
8. Repeat with the remaining spring rolls. Serve while hot with sweet and sour sauce.
Carrot Steamed Buns
Thank you Food Network for the recipe!
Ingredients
Steamed Bun Dough:
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1 cup warm water
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2 + ¼ tsp active dry yeast
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6 Tbsp + 1 tsp sugar
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2 cups all-purpose flour
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1 cup cake flour
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¾ tsp kosher salt
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2 Tbsp canola oil
Filling:
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1 + ¼ lbs. Carrots (chopped into ½ inch pieces)
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1 Tbsp oil
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½ tsp kosher salt
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6 Tbsp teriyaki sauce
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¼ cup salted roasted peanuts
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1 Tbsp rice vinegar
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6 scallions (minced)
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Sriracha (for drizzling)
Directions
1. In a small bowl, stir the water, yeast, and 1 tablespoon of sugar. Let it sit until it becomes foamy on top, about 5 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, mix the all-purpose flour, cake flour, salt, and the remaining 6 tablespoons of sugar. Pour in the yeast mixture and oil and mix to form the dough. Turn it out onto a work surface and knead, dusting with flour, until the dough is smooth and slightly sticky — about 5 minutes. Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl, turning to coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let it rise until it’s doubled in size — about 2 hours.
3. While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 425°F.
4. Place the carrots in a baking dish and toss them with oil and salt. Bake until they’re tender, 30-35 minutes, and let them cool for 5 minutes.
5. Add the teriyaki sauce, peanuts, rice vinegar, scallions, and a drizzle of sriracha to the carrots and stir them together. Set aside to continue to cool.
6. Once the dough has completed its rising time, turn it out onto a clean work surface and divide it into 16 balls. Keep the dough balls covered when you’re not working with them. Roll one ball out at a time, a 4 + ½ – 5-inch circle. Fill with 2 heaping tablespoons of filling and pinch the edges shut to seal well. Place on an individual 3-inch square of parchment paper. Space the buns out in a steamer basket 1 + ½ to 2 inches apart. Cover and let them rise for 30 or more minutes.
7. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Place the steamer over it and steam the buns until they’re light and fluffy about 45 minutes.
8. To serve, top with another drizzle of sriracha and some sprinkles of peanuts and scallions. Dip in teriyaki sauce and enjoy!
Long Life Noodles
Thank you The Woks of Life for the recipe!
Ingredients
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3 quarts water
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12 oz. Yi Mein noodles
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⅛ tsp sugar
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¼ tsp salt
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1 Tbsp hot water
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2 tsp soy sauce
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2 tsp dark soy sauce
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2 Tbsp oyster sauce
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½ tsp sesame oil
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Freshly ground white pepper
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3-4 Tbsp vegetable oil
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5 shiitake mushrooms
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8 oz. Chinese chives
Directions
1. Boil 3 quarts of water in a large wok or a pot to pre-cook your Yi Mein noodles. Once the water boils, add the noodles and boil for 3-4 minutes to keep them firm and chewy. As soon as they’re done, drain them and set them aside.
2. Dissolve the sugar and salt and 1 tablespoon of hot water, then add the regular soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, and white pepper. Stir until combined.
3. Heat the wok until it’s just smoking, then spread 2 tablespoons of oil around the perimeter.
4. Add the mushrooms and the light green parts of the chives, and stir fry for 30 seconds.
5. Add the noodles and stir fry everything for another 20 seconds. Make sure the noodles are still warm.
6. Spread the prepared sauce mixture evenly over the noodles and stir-fry everything together for 1 minute or until the soy sauce mixture is distributed evenly.
7. Mix gently so you don’t break up the noodles — remember, you want to have long noodles to give longevity and prosperity to whoever’s going to be eating this dish!
8. Add in the remaining green parts of the chives and mix until they turn bright green and the noodles are heated through. This will take 1-3 minutes, depending on if your noodles were cold or still warm when you started stir-frying and how hot your stove and wok can get.
Scallion Pancakes
Thank you Pure Wow for the recipe!
Ingredients
Dough:
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2 + ⅓ cups + 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
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1 tsp salt
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¾ cups + 1 Tbsp warm water
You Su (Oil Paste)
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5 Tbsp all-purpose flour
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1 + ½ tsp salt
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4 Tbsp vegetable oil
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2 scallions (chopped into 2-inch segments)
Dipping Sauce:
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1 Tbsp black vinegar
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1 Tbsp light soy sauce
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1 tsp sugar
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1 garlic clove (minced)
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One 1-inch piece of fresh ginger (peeled and julienned)
Filling:
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Neutral cooking oil (as needed for greasing and frying)
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2 tsp pork lard
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3 scallions (finely chopped)
Directions
1. Make the dough. In a large bowl, mix the flour and salt together. Slowly stream in the water while stirring it. Continue to mix until a workable dough forms.
2. Knead the mixture until the dough is smooth and shiny and begins to pull away from the side of the bowl — 15 minutes by hand or 7-10 minutes in a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment. If the dough feels too sticky to knead, very lightly flour your hands. If the dough is too dry, add more water, a teaspoon at a time, and work it into the dough completely before adding more. Wrap the dough in plastic and let it rest at room temperature for 1 hour or in the fridge for up to 1 day.
3. Make the oil paste. In a small heatproof bowl, combine the flour and salt and set aside. In a small saucepan over medium heat, heat the vegetable oil. Use the side of a chef’s knife to smash the scallion segments. Add the scallions to the oil and cook until they begin to turn golden — 5 to 7 minutes. Remove and discard the scallions. Pour the hot oil into the heatproof bowl to toast the flour mixture. Mix until a paste is formed.
4. Make the dipping sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together the black vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, garlic, and ginger. Set aside.
5. Preheat the oven to 200°F. Set a wire rack onto a baking sheet and place it in the oven. Divide the dough into four equal parts. Work with one quarter at a time, keeping the other parts covered with plastic wrap or a damp dishtowel. Use your hands to shape a piece of dough into a log. On a lightly greased work surface, use a rolling pin to roll out the log into a rectangle that is approximately 12 x 4 inches. The precise dimensions don’t matter too much; the important thing is to roll the dough into a thin rectangle with the long side nearest you.
6. Thinly spread one-quarter of the oil paste on the surface of the dough, avoiding clumps. (It’s okay if you have some spots without oil paste.) If using, place ½ teaspoon of the lard in the center of the rectangle. Evenly sprinkle one-quarter of the scallions over the dough in an even layer.
7. Fold the rectangle into thirds as if you were folding a letter. Starting from one of the short sides, roll up the dough into a short log. Stand the log vertically so that the spiral faces up. Place your palm over the spiral edge and press down to flatten it into a circle.
8. Use the rolling pin to gently roll the dough into a 7- to 8-inch round, about ¼ inch thick. If the dough springs back, reverting to its original size before you fry the pancakes, let it sit, covered, for 5 minutes, then roll it out again. Repeat with the remaining dough to create 4 discs.
9. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high. It’s important not to have the heat too high, as you don’t want to burn the pancake or create scalded spots. When the oil shimmers, gently slide in a disc of dough. Cook for about 1 minute, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook with the lid on for about 2 more minutes. The bottom should be golden and slightly puffed.
10. Use a spatula to carefully flip the pancake and cook for about 2 more minutes with the lid on. Remove the lid, increase the heat to medium-high, and cook until crispy on the bottom, about 2 minutes more. Use tongs or two spatulas on opposite sides of the pancake to expose more layers. Remove the pancake and place on the rack in the oven to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining discs of dough. Serve the pancakes hot, cut in wedges — or simply ripped apart — with the dipping sauce.
Steamed Chinese New Year Cake
Thank you Chow Hound for the recipe!
Ingredients
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2 cups water
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1 package Chinese brown sugar
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1 lb. sweet rice flour
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2 Tbsp vegetable oil (plus more for coating the pan)
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2 tsp almond extract
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10 dried seedless Chinese red dates
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½ tsp toasted sesame seeds (for garnish)
Directions
1. Place the measured water and brown sugar in a medium saucepan. Set over medium heat and stir occasionally until the sugar has completely dissolved about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let it cool until it’s warm to the touch.
2. Meanwhile, fill a 14-inch wok with about 1 + ½ inches of water and place a 12-inch bamboo steamer inside. If you don’t have a wok and a bamboo steamer, use a large frying pan and foil. Bring the water to a simmer over medium heat. Coat a 9-inch round cake pan with vegetable oil and set it aside.
3. Place the rice flour in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour in the sugar-water mixture, beating until smooth, about 2 minutes.
4. Add the measured oil and continue beating at low speed until the batter is smooth and the oil is incorporated for about 5 minutes. Add the almond extract and beat until just incorporated. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan.
5. Carefully place the pan in the bamboo steamer or on top of the foil coils. Cover the bamboo steamer with its lid or cover the wok or frying pan with a lid or a sheet of aluminum foil. Steam until the cake is firm to the touch, about 3 hours, checking every hour and replenishing the wok or pan with hot tap water, as needed. While the cake is still warm, garnish with dates and sesame seeds. Let it cool on a rack at room temperature. Run a knife around the outside of the cake, then slip a thin spatula under the cake to lift it out. Serve it sesame seed side up.
Are you as excited to celebrate the Lunar New Year as we are? Comment below!
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