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Chinese New Year: To kick off the Year of the Ox, eat like one

Posted by Madeleine & Clancy Philippe on 22/1/2009, 5:41 pm
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Chinese New Year: To kick off the Year of the Ox, eat like one

Note from Madeleine & Clancy Philippe: Happy New Year to our Chinese
Friends. Gung Hei Fat Choy

by DAVID LEE

Extract From Wednesday's Globe and Mail

January 21, 2009 at 8:40 AM EST

Food has always been important to my family. I grew up with 22 aunts
and uncles, and my parents gave a particular significance to the time
we all spent together during holidays and festivities. With 13
siblings on my mother's side and nine on my father's, there was never
a dull moment. Especially when celebrating the Chinese New Year in
Mauritius.

Born in England, I moved to Mauritius at age 6 and lived there until I
was 10. Some of my most meaningful memories of that time are of the
entire family sitting down for the big New Year's meal.

Unlike the Western calendar, the Chinese lunar calendar begins in late
January or early February. This time, the lunar new year starts on
Jan. 26.

The holiday involves much ceremony and celebration, culminating in a
large feast of eight dishes (a lucky number) to send off the old year.
As with many Chinese traditions, food takes on a special meaning, with
particular ingredients and preparations indicating future wealth,
prosperity and good fortune. Animals play symbolic roles during this
period as well: This year is the Year of the Ox, which emphasizes
prosperity through fortitude and dependable, hard labour.
Chef David Lee says some
Enlarge Image

Chef David Lee says some of the most significant childhood memories he
has are of Chinese New Year feasts with his family in Mauritius.
(NIKKI LEIGH McKEAN FOR THE GLOBE AND MAIL)
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After the dinner, my grandfather would give each of us a hung bao, a
red envelope with gold Chinese writing that symbolized good fortune
for the coming year. Since there were so many of my cousins at the
meal, he would line us up to avoid handing out a second hung bao to
the same grandchild. It is a memory I cherish.

Both of my grandfathers fled Beijing and settled in Mauritius in the
early part of the 20th century. My paternal grandfather married a
woman from France's Reunion Island, while my mother's mom was of mixed
Chinese and Indian heritage. I returned to Mauritius once when I was
18, and I was kept busy visiting the two families. I remember being
pulled aside and questioned by both sets of relatives about whose
cooking was better and which I enjoyed more. In my family, food was
always very competitive!

I came to Canada from England in 1994, and I've embraced the beauty of
this country's landscape and have come to appreciate the diversity of
its social values and customs. And I've passed on the importance of
the Chinese New Year to my new family and friends. Our new ritual is
to go out for dim sum.

But every Chinese family has a different tradition for New Year's
banquet food. At these meals, it seems every aunt, uncle and close
relative is an expert with an opinion. What matters most, however, is
that the time is spent together with close family and friends.

My family's typical meal included hot pot, lobster salad, suckling pig
and a whole fish, which signifies abundance and good wealth.

By keeping the fish's head and tail on, you ensure good fortune at the
beginning and end of the year. In my recipe, I've included red goji
berries, which denote good fortune and add a pleasant sweetness to
contrast the ginger.

This is one of my favourite Chinese New Year dishes. I hope you enjoy
it as much as I do.

GINGER-STEAMED WILD BLACK BASS WITH STIR-FRIED CHINESE GREENS

What you need

2-pound whole wild black bass, scales and gills removed

Sprinkling of sea salt

1 large knob ginger, peeled and sliced with 1 teaspoon reserved and minced

1 tablespoon goji berries

6 or 7 stalks gai lan (Chinese kale), trimmed

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 clove garlic, finely minced (optional)

½bunch coriander, picked and roughly chopped

2 scallions, trimmed and sliced thinly horizontally

Good-quality soy sauce

Sesame oil for garnish

What you do

Fill a large pot with hot water and bring to a boil.

Use a very sharp knife to lightly score the fish two or three times
diagonally on each side, about a half-inch apart.

Place the fish in a bamboo steamer and evenly season with sea salt.

Layer several slices of ginger and the goji berries on top of the fish
and place the steamer on top of a smaller pot of boiling water.

Steam the fish for 15 minutes or until the flesh is firm and opaque.
Meanwhile, in a separate deep pot, salt the boiling water. Once it's
reached a rolling boil, drop the gai lan in the pot to blanch. After
about 30 seconds, once the stalk has become slightly pliable, remove
the gai lan and set aside.

Heat the vegetable oil in a well-seasoned wok or frying pan on highest
heat.

Working quickly once the oil is very hot, add minced ginger and
garlic. Stir vigorously for a few seconds until aromatic and slightly
browned. Do not burn.

Add blanched gai lan and continue to stir quickly, coating greens with
oil.

Add a drop or two of water and cook until the stalks are cooked
through. They should retain a slight firmness. Remove from heat and
place in a warmed serving bowl.

When the fish is cooked, remove and place ginger and goji berries over
top on a warmed serving platter.

To finish the fish, sprinkle with chopped coriander and scallions and
drizzle with soy sauce and sesame oil.

Serves 4.

*****

Chef David Lee's Chinese New Year family banquet

Steamed jasmine rice with coriander

Sautéed gai lan

Shiitake mushroom hot pot

Peking duck

Roasted suckling pig

Lobster salad with goji

Chicken hot pot

Steamed black bass with steamed ginger and green onions

David Lee is co-owner and executive chef of Splendido in Toronto.

*****

Beppi's wine matches

Three good choices include sauvignon blanc, riesling and
gewurztraminer. Known as aromatic whites, these wines have the exotic
perfume to embrace the ginger. And they tend to exhibit crisp acidity.
Good brands from Ontario include Peninsula Ridge and Strewn. From
British Columbia, top picks include Peller Estates Private Reserve,
Tantalus and Mission Hill.

Beppi Crosariol