Gong Xi Fat Choi 2009

Happy Chinese New Year everybody. This new year I would like to wish you all the happiness, fortune, health, and off course better food than last year. Round fruits, sweets, and delicious food just keep on coming into my house. I like to share one of the BBQ Combo Gift Box's picture that we received. It has barbecued Goose/Duck, Chicken, Pork. Because of that I am in the mood to share this Chinese Barbecued Pork, Steam Salmon With Lemon and Shanghai-Style Shrimp with you. All of these dishes are great choices for you to cook for your loved ones in Chinese New Year.

Chinese Barbecued Pork

1 lb lean pork butt
2 Tbs sugar
1 Tbs soy sauce
1 Tbs hoisin sauce
1 Tbs black soy sauce
1 Tbs Shao Hsing Rice Wine or dry sherry
1 Tbs bean sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1/8 tsp ground white pepper
1 Tbs honey

1.
Quarter the pork lengthwise. Rub with 1 Tbs of the sugar. Put it in a large bowl and set aside for 15 minutes. Pour off any excess liquid. In a bowl, combine the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, black soy sauce, rice wine, bean sauce, sesame oil, pepper and remaining 1 Tbs sugar. Pour the mixture over the pork, making sure the pork is well coated. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate 6 to 8 hours, turning the pork from time to time.

2.
When ready to roast, let the pork come to room temperature. Preheat the broiler. Put a rack in a roasting pan and add water to a depth of 1/4 inch. Remove the pork from the marinade, reserving the marinade. Using your hands, evenly spread the honey on the pork. Put the pork on the rack, leaving about 1 inch of space between the pieces.

3.
Carefully place the pan under the broiler ( the pork should be about 4 inches from the broiler element ), and broil until the meat is just beginning to char slightly, 7 to 10 minutes. Monitor the water level in the roasting pan to make sure it never falls below 1/4 inch. Turn the pork, brush with the reserved marinade, and broil until the meat is just beginning to char, 7 to 10 minutes, or until the pork registers 155F when tested with a meat thermometer. If the pork is getting to charred, cover loosely with a small piece of aluminum foil. Carefully remove the pork from the broiler and set on a cutting board to cool 10 minutes. Slice 1/4 inch thick and serve warm or at a room temperature.

Serves 4 as part of a multicourse meal.

Steam Salmon With Lemon

One 1-lb salmon fillet
1 tbs soy sauce
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 ground white pepper
2 scallions, cut into 4-inch pieces
4 slices ginger
1 lemon
2 tsp sesame oil

1.
Thoroughly rinse the fish in cold water and pat dry. Put the fillets in a 9-inch shallow heatproof bowl. Drizzle the soy sauce, salt and pepper over the salmon. Sprinkle with the scallions and ginger. Cut the lemon in half crosswise. Cut half a lemon into 4 slices and put on the fish. Juice the remaining lemon and drizzle over the fish.

2.
Put a 1-inch-high steamer rack in a 14-inch flat bottomed wok. Add water to a depth of 3/4-inch and bring to a boil over high heat. Carefully put the bowl on the rack, cover, and steam 8 to 10 minutes. Test the fish for doneness by poking the thickest part witha chopstick or fork; the fish should flake. If not, steam 1 to 2 minutes or until the fish just flakes. Be sure to check the water level from time to time and replenish, if necessary, with boiling water. Carefully remove the bowl from the wok. Drizzle the sesame oil over the fillets.

Serves 4 as part of multicourse meal.



Shanghai-Style Shrimp

1 lb large shrimp
3 1/2 Tbs soy sauce
1 tsp red wine vinegar
2 Tbs vegetable oil
3 slices ginger
2 scallions, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 Tbs rice wine
3 Tbs sugar, or to taste
1 Tbs sesame oil, optional

1.
Using kitchen shears, cut through the shrimp shells two-thirds of the length down the back of the shrimp. Remove the legs and devein the shrimp, leaving the shells and tails on. Rinse the unpeeled shrimp, drain, and set on several sheets of paper towels. With more paper towels, pat the shrimp dry. In a small bowl combine the soy sauce and vinegar.

2.
Heat a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok over high heat until a bead of water vaporizes within 1 to 2 seconds of contact. Swirl in the vegetable oil, add the ginger and scallions, and stir-fry 30 seconds or until aromatic. Add the shrimp and stir-fry 30 seconds. Add the rice wine and stir-fry a few seconds,. Swirl in the soy sauce mixture and sprinkle in the sugar. Stir-fry the shrimp 1 to 2 minutes or until the sauce is distributed and the shrimp are just cooked. Remove from the heat. Stir in the sesame oil if desired. Serve immediately or at room temperature.

Serve 4 as part of a multicourse meal.

All of these recipes are taken from The Breath Of A Wok by Grace Young.

For more ideas on what is Chinese New Year, what to do that day, what kind of Chinese New Year craft your children can make and if you need more recipes, I included here the sites that hopefully will be useful for you and your family :

1. What is Chinese New Year and what to do
2. Craft for your children from Kaboose
3. Symbolic Chinese New Year dishes
4. Lunar New Year 2009 recipes by Allrecipes.com
5. Everything else you need to know about Chinese New Year, from clothes to wear, music, facts, activities etc.