Celebrated by over 2 billion people around the world, Lunar New Year is a highly anticipated time of the year where families and loved ones gather in the spirit of togetherness, to hand out auspicious red pockets and to reunite over an abundance of delectable food.
When it comes to food, those who celebrate would eat certain dishes solely for their symbolic meaning and health properties. Fish for abundance, abalone which represents wealth, longevity noodles for a long life, steamed chicken for good luck, tangerines for good fortune and much more.
Let’s explore 3 versatile Lunar New Year ingredients which can be prepared in many creative ways:
Abalone
Abalone, known as 鲍鱼 (bào yú) in Chinese, is a quintessential delicacy served during the Lunar New Year as a symbol of good fortune and prosperity. In fact, the Chinese words for abalone sounds like ‘guaranteed abundance’ believed to usher in an auspicious and blessed year for the family. For that reason, abalones are popular as gifts for elders, parents, business partners and friends.
Found in the sea along the cold waters of the ocean floor, abalones are rich in protein, omega 3 fatty acids and essential vitamins and minerals such as iodine, phosphorous, iron, vitamins B12 and E. Taste wise, the surface of abalones are smooth and salty with a textured, chewy mouthfeel. They are a quick and easy addition to your Lunar New Year recipes as minimal preparation is needed with canned abalone.
XO sauce
A staple in every Asian pantry, the name ‘XO sauce’ was derived from XO (extra-old) cognac by a Hong Kong chef. However, the sauce does not actually contain cognac. Instead, the name carries with it the perception of a high quality, expensive condiment derived from dried scallops, dry-cured Jinhua ham, dried shrimps, shallots, garlic and red chilli. The result is a rich, intense, umami concoction that can be used to as a topping or seasoning for a plethora of Asian dishes.
Long Life or Longevity Noodles
As its name suggests, long life noodles or 伊面 (yī miàn) symbolise longevity in the Chinese culture and is usually eaten on birthdays or on the 7th day of Lunar New Year known as人日 (rén rì) which is celebrated as everyone’s birthday. When eating the noodles, its customary to try and keep the noodles intact instead of breaking it with your teeth or utensils, which can sometimes be a rather tricky task!
Broth-wise, longevity noodles are served with any type of soup stock and typically topped with optional ingredients such as boiled eggs, mushrooms, chicken or abalone.
This Lunar New Year, impress your guests by incorporating these classic ingredients into your festive dishes! Here are 4 recipes to get you started.
Abalone Noodles with XO Sauce
This recipe serves 8.
What you will need
From Asian Pantry
- AFCL Whole Abalone, sliced thinly
- LEE KUM KEE XO Sauce
- RED DRAGON Long Life Noodles
- KAMBOW Fried Shallots (optional)
The fresh stuff
- Bok choy (1 bunch)
- Spring onion, (2 sprigs, chopped)
- Butter (2 tablespoons)
- Garlic (5 cloves, chopped finely)
How to prepare
- Cook the long life noodles in a pot of boiling water. Drain the water and rinse the noodles with cold water.
- Melt half the butter in a large frying pan. Then, add half of the chopped garlic on low heat and fry for about 2 minutes and add in the sliced abalone.
- Sear the sliced abalones for about 3 minutes and add in 3 heaped tablespoons of XO sauce. Stir well and set aside.
- Using the same pan, melt the remaining butter and add the rest of the garlic on low heat. Fry for about 2 minutes and add in the rest of the XO sauce (yes, the whole jar!)
- Add the noodles to the pan and mix gently until they are well coated with the sauce. Time to plate the noodles on a large serving dish!
- Toss in sliced abalone, chopped spring onions and fried shallots. Add some blanched bok choy to complete the dish.
This recipe goes really well with crispy chilli oil!
Braised Abalone with Mushrooms
This recipe serves 6.
What you will need
From Asian Pantry
- 1 kg AFCL whole abalone
- 100 g SUN BRAND dried shiitake mushrooms (rehydrated)
- 7 tbsp LEE KUM KEE oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp DOUBLE PHOENIX Shao Xing cooking wine (or dry sherry)
- 1 tbsp LEE KUM KEE chicken bouillon
The fresh stuff
- 4 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
- 10 g ginger (finely sliced)
- 4 tbsp cooking oil
- 2 tsp salt (or to taste)
- 1 1/2 tbsp sugar (or to taste)
- 1L water (or to preference)
How to prepare
- Pour the oil into a wok or saucepan on high heat. Once hot, turn the heat to medium and add garlic and ginger in to cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant.
- Turn the heat back up to high and add the mushrooms in. Stir fry for 2 minutes.
- Add abalone and stir fry for another 2 minutes.
- Pour in oyster sauce, salt, sugar and chicken bouillon powder.
- Mix and cook all the ingredients for 2 minutes, then stir in the Shaoxing rice wine.
- Pour in water, give it a quick stir and bring to a boil.
- When boiling, turn the heat down to low-medium and simmer for 5 hours.
Longevity Noodles
This recipe serves 2.
What you will need
From Asian Pantry
- 2 bundles of RED DRAGON long life noodles
- YEO’S pure sesame oil to taste
- 4 AFCL whole abalone from the can; drained
- 100 g SUN BRAND shiitake mushrooms caps only
- 1/2 tbsp GOLDFISH BRAND Red Medlar gojiberries soaked in a bowl of water to rehydrate
The fresh stuff
- Hard-boiled chicken eggs
- Spring onions thinly sliced; for garnishing
- 2 large chicken drumsticks blanched in boiling water for 5 minutes, rinsed
- Chicken bones blanched in boiling water for 5 minutes, rinsed
- 2 L water
- 1 medium onion roughly sliced
- 4 garlic cloves slightly crushed
How to prepare
- In a soup pot, add chicken drumsticks, bones, water, onion and garlic gloves. Simmer for 1 hour until chicken is tender. Add drained gojiberries during the last 5 minutes and season with salt.
- Cook long life noodles in a pot of boiling water for about 30 seconds, separating the strands with chopsticks.
- Transfer the cooked noodles and coat with sesame oil.
- When ready to serve, reheat chicken soup and add the abalones to warm through for a few minutes
- Top each bowl of noodles with one chicken drumstick, abalone, mushrooms, and eggs. Ladle hot chicken stock over, garnish with spring onions and serve immediately.
Steamed Red Grouper with XO Sauce
This recipe serves 6-8.
What you will need
- 900g Grouper whole fish (butterflied)
- 1 tbsp white peppercorns (crushed)
- 30g sliced ginger
- 70g scallions (sliced into 4-inch pieces)
Sauce mixture
- 2 tbsp LEE KUM KEE Seasoned Soy Sauce for Seafood
- 1½ tsp Sugar
- 2 tbsp DOUBLE PHOENIX Shao Xing cooking wine
Topping
- 2 tbsp LEE KUM KEE XO sauce
- Scallion and chilli ribbons
- 2 tbsp fried minced garlic
- 2 tbsp sliced ginger
How to prepare
- In a saucepan, mix the sauce mixture and bring it to a boil. Set aside.
- Clean, wash and pat dry fish, set aside.
- Prepare the steamer with water.
- On a steaming plate, layer crushed white pepper, ginger slices, followed by scallions.
- Add one pair of chopsticks on top of aromatics to act as a steaming barrier for even steam distribution. Transfer fish to sit on top of chopsticks.
- Once the steamer is boiling, steam fish for approx. 13 - 15 minutes depending on the size of your fish.
- Heat up fragrant oil and pour chopped scallions over a sieve onto the fish.
- Pour sauce mixture on and around the fish.
- Top with Lee Kum Kee XO sauce, fried garlic, ginger, scallion and chilli ribbons.
We wish you a glorious time of celebration over scrumptious food with your loved ones this Lunar New Year!
Be sure to check out our Lunar New Year specials to find the key ingredients you’ll need to complete these recipes. We can’t wait to see your creations, so remember to tag us on your photos and videos and follow us on Facebook & Instagram!
