The Chinese New Year Reunion Dinner is more than just a meal; it's a cherished tradition symbolizing family unity, prosperity, and the hope for a blessed new year. This annual feast, laden with symbolic dishes brimming with flavour and meaning, is the heart of the holiday celebrations. From generations past, families gather around a table overflowing with carefully prepared delicacies, each dish carrying a unique message of good fortune for the coming year. The aroma alone evokes memories of warmth, togetherness, and the enduring strength of family bonds.
This year, elevate your Reunion Dinner experience with our comprehensive guide. We'll delve into the rich history and significance behind ten auspicious dishes, providing detailed insights into their symbolism and cultural importance. Ready to create a truly memorable and meaningful feast? Then let's embark on a step-by-step journey through the culinary traditions of this iconic celebration.
Tools Needed
- Wok
- Ziploc bag
- Food processor
- Blender
- Knife set
- Clay pot
- Cutting board
- Pot
- Sauce pot
- Dehydrator
- Rolling pin
- Fondue set
- Ceramic grater
Ingredients
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1. Preparing Ingredients and Marinades
- Wash and prep vegetables (onions, radish, squash, toy choy).
- Marinate chicken (with ginger, scallions, purple onion, salt, sugar, sand ginger powder/five-spice powder, soy sauce). Refrigerate for at least 5 hours.
- Soak dried tofu skin and shiitake mushrooms.
- Cut beef, pork, and tilapia into bite-sized pieces; grind tilapia.
- Marinate shrimp (salt, cornstarch, Chinese cooking wine, black pepper). Refrigerate.
- Marinate beef (dark soy sauce, Chinese cooking wine, egg white, cornstarch). Velveting technique.
- Marinate ribs (soy sauce, Chinese cooking wine, minced garlic, minced ginger, black pepper). Refrigerate.
- Season ground pork (soy sauce, oyster sauce, Chinese cooking wine, minced garlic, minced ginger, cornstarch, diced scallions).
- Prepare the mushroom filling for the bitter melon.
- Stuff bitter melon; refrigerate.
- Prepare lamb soup (lamb belly, trotters, lemon tripe, onion, ginger, scallions). Simmer for 2 hours. Refrigerate.
- Prepare sauces (gravy for bitter melon, sweet and sour sauce for ribs, stir-fry sauce for beef, dressing for cucumber salad, dumpling dipping sauce). Refrigerate.
- Prepare bubble tea (black tea, evaporated milk, brown sugar). Refrigerate.
- Debone lamb, cut tripe, and refrigerate.
- Prep cucumber salad ingredients; salt and drain cucumber.
- Cook tapioca pearls; shock in ice bath.
Step 2. Cooking and Assembling Dishes
- Prepare dumpling filling (aromatics, ground tilapia, pork, seasonings, and optional XO sauce).
- Pre-cook shrimp. Refrigerate.
- Prepare chicken glaze (mottos/sugar/honey, vinegar).
- Blanch chicken; glaze and dehydrate for 5 hours. Refrigerate.
- Prepare egg and rice flour mixture for chicken.
- Dehydrate glazed chicken; coat with sesame seeds and dehydrate further.
- Make dumpling wrappers.
- Blanch tofu and tofu skin; drain and refrigerate tofu.
- Assemble cucumber salad.
- Assemble dumplings.
- Microwave squash; puree.
- Make pumpkin soup (pumpkin puree, chicken stock, cornstarch, salt, blanched tofu, pre-cooked shrimp).
- Deep fry chicken, ribs, and bitter melon.
- Prepare bitter melon gravy.
- Cook dumplings.
- Reheat lamb soup; add daikon radish.
- Finish sweet and sour ribs sauce.
- Deep fry beef; prepare sauce and toss.
- Assemble beef stir-fry.
- Assemble stuffed bitter melon boat.
- Blanch and prepare toy choy.
Step 3. Pre-preparation and Marinating
- Wash and prep vegetables (onions, radish, squash, toy choy).
- Marinate chicken (with ginger, scallions, purple onion, salt, sugar, sand ginger powder/five-spice powder, soy sauce). Refrigerate for at least 5 hours.
- Soak dried tofu skin and shiitake mushrooms.
- Cut beef, pork, and tilapia into bite-sized pieces; grind tilapia.
- Marinate shrimp (salt, cornstarch, Chinese cooking wine, black pepper). Refrigerate.
- Marinate beef (dark soy sauce, Chinese cooking wine, egg white, cornstarch). Velveting technique.
- Marinate ribs (soy sauce, Chinese cooking wine, minced garlic, minced ginger, black pepper). Refrigerate.
- Season ground pork (soy sauce, oyster sauce, Chinese cooking wine, minced garlic, minced ginger, cornstarch, diced scallions).
- Prepare the mushroom filling for the bitter melon.
- Stuff bitter melon; refrigerate.
- Prepare lamb soup (lamb belly, trotters, lemon tripe, onion, ginger, scallions). Simmer for 2 hours. Refrigerate.
- Prepare sauces (gravy for bitter melon, sweet and sour sauce for ribs, stir-fry sauce for beef, dressing for cucumber salad, dumpling dipping sauce). Refrigerate.
- Prepare bubble tea (black tea, evaporated milk, brown sugar). Refrigerate.
- Debone lamb, cut tripe, and refrigerate.
- Prep cucumber salad ingredients; salt and drain cucumber.
Step 4. Cooking and Finishing Touches
- Prepare dumpling filling (aromatics, ground tilapia, pork, seasonings, and optional XO sauce).
- Pre-cook shrimp. Refrigerate.
- Prepare chicken glaze (mottos/sugar/honey, vinegar).
- Blanch chicken; glaze and dehydrate for 5 hours. Refrigerate.
- Prepare egg and rice flour mixture for chicken.
- Dehydrate glazed chicken; coat with sesame seeds and dehydrate further.
- Make dumpling wrappers.
- Blanch tofu and tofu skin; drain and refrigerate tofu.
- Assemble cucumber salad.
- Assemble dumplings.
- Microwave squash; puree.
- Make pumpkin soup (pumpkin puree, chicken stock, cornstarch, salt, blanched tofu, pre-cooked shrimp).
- Deep fry chicken, ribs, and bitter melon.
- Prepare bitter melon gravy.
- Cook dumplings.
- Reheat lamb soup; add daikon radish.
- Finish sweet and sour ribs sauce.
- Deep fry beef; prepare sauce and toss.
- Assemble beef stir-fry.
- Assemble stuffed bitter melon boat.
- Blanch and prepare toy choy.
Read more: Chinese Wonton Soup: Thousand-Li Fragrance Recipe
Tips
- Use a food processor to save time chopping aromatics.
- Adjust seasonings proportionally based on the size of your ingredients.
- Cornstarch helps prevent separation in stuffed bitter melon.
- Use a ceramic grater for garlic to prevent grating your fingers.
- Don't refrigerate tapioca pearls overnight; cook fresh on serving day.
- Dehydrate chicken skin before adding egg and flour mixture for optimal crispiness.
- Use a fondue set for a warm, sizzling presentation of the beef.
Nutrition
- N/A
FAQs
1. What are some of the most common auspicious dishes served during the Chinese New Year Reunion Dinner?
Popular choices include Nian Gao (sticky rice cake symbolizing progress), fish (symbolizing abundance), dumplings (representing wealth), and longevity noodles.
2. Why are certain dishes considered auspicious?
Many dishes are chosen for their symbolic meanings. For example, fish sounds like 'surplus' in Chinese, and long noodles represent long life.
3. Can I substitute ingredients in the recipes without losing the auspicious meaning?
While you can adapt recipes to personal preferences or dietary needs, try to retain the core ingredients to maintain the symbolic significance. For example, using a different type of fish still represents abundance.
Creating a memorable Chinese New Year Reunion Dinner is about more than just the food; it's about the shared experience and the strengthening of family bonds. May the delicious dishes and auspicious symbols you’ve prepared bring good fortune and happiness to your family in the new year. Happy Chinese New Year!