Chinese New Year Recipe (Chicken）

Back in the old days, it is considering a luxury to have chicken meat and therefore, it will only be served during important festivals such as Chinese New Year where everyone in the family comes together. Hence, eating chicken also symbolizes togetherness. And most important part: the Chinese pronunciation of chicken is “Ji（鸡)”, it is almost as same as the meaning auspicious（吉）

The chicken wings represent soaring high, means you can get your raise in the future

The chicken feet mean you will grab your fortune in this year

Take a chicken soup means that you will be surrounded by peace and safe for the whole year.

Steamed Ginger Chicken


Ginger paste

Blend (A) together into a paste and then fry (B) together. 

(A)

12 cloves of garlic

100g of young ginger

90g of old ginger

0.25  cup of sesame oil

(B)

0.25 cup of sesame oil

Ginger paste

2 tablespoons of oyster sauce

1 tablespoon of light soy sauce

1.5 teaspoons of sugar

Marinated chicken：marinate for at least 20 mins

500g of chicken

1 teaspoon of salt

2 tablespoons of Chinese cooking wine - Shaoxing Huatiao wine

1 tablespoon of cornflour

1 tablespoon of ginger paste

Method: Steaming the dish

First, boil the water 

Spread some ginger paste over marinated chicken and steam for about 10 - 12 mins.

Mustard Green Chicken Soup ：A Taiwanese New Year Dish


Ingredients

1 whole chicken cut into pieces

800 g mustard green cut into 3-5cm lengthways

3 pieces ginger

salt

pepper

Method

Blanch the chicken and rinse under cold water to give it a quick wash. This process gets rid of any unpleasantness from the chicken.

Put the chicken into a stockpot and add ginger. Add water until the contents of the stockpot are covered. Boil it first then simmer for 1 and half hour.

Check the chicken meat is soft and put the mustard green into the soup to cook along with the chicken. Season the soup and it’s ready to serve.

Lotus leaf chicken crown


Steamed chicken

1double chicken breast on the crown from a 1.5 kg chicken, wings reserved

50 grendered chicken fat, plus extra to season rice

4leaves wombok, blanched

1dried lotus leaf, soaked overnight in water


Method

For the rice stuffing, heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant. Add the shiitake mushrooms and fry for 1 more minute. Add the rice wine and cook for 1 minute, then add the cooked rice and break it up with a large spoon. Add the chopped salted duck egg, spring onions, soy sauce, sesame oil, white pepper and the extra chicken fat. Toss to combine well, then remove from the heat and cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes.

Keeping as much of the skin in-tact as possible, carefully push your fingers between the skin and breast meat to form a pouch between the skin and flesh. Take care not to break the skin. Gently force the cooled rice stuffing between the skin and breast meat to cover the crown evenly. Rub the chicken in rendered fat and season with light soy sauce and white pepper. Wrap the chicken in the blanched wombok leaves and finally wrap in the lotus leaf. Place the wings in a shallow bowl, then place the chicken, breast–side up in a large bamboo steamer basket and steam for about 45 minutes. Remove from the steamer and allow to rest for 10 minutes.

Remove the lotus leaf from around the chicken and discard. Separate the wombok leaves and set aside. Carefully cut the chicken breast lengthways and remove from the bone. Place in a warm bowl and serve with pickled mustard greens, black vinegar and smoked chilli paste.

Cook's notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

 

To serve

pickled mustard greens

black vinegar

smoked chilli paste