Cooking Lab - Dumpling Riches (年菜之八: 吉祥滾滾金元寶)

This is an indispensable dish for Chinese New Year dinner. 

Many believe eating lots of them during Chinese New Year will invite good fortune because dumpling resembles gold ingot (元寶) that was used as currency for the riches & nobles.

(c) GMV - Got My Vote!

吃了象徵新的一年「財源滾滾來」。

Love these!! The round shape means your prosperity will roll on forever !!

瞧~那每顆水餃像極了圓滾滾的元寶，這是過年必吃的一道年菜!

Instead of getting the most Asian dumplings, I opted for this Korean type! 

Tightly wrapped and so roly-poly plump shaped. Money, money roll to me ~~

This is the pork & chive flavor - because chive leeks (韮菜) are homophone of 'longevity and everlasting' in Mandarin and everyone know pig always bring good fortune. 

We do put in some thought into the dishes!! It is not merely just a grab n go at the supermarket~~ :D

This is one of my favourite plates!  The peony represents high position, great wealth and prosperity. The flowers-and- birds design convey an endless happiness and is forever green.

Always stack it away for safe-keeping ... But that is silly isn't it!! 

團圓，吉祥，喜慶的視覺上的賞悅。

Take a photo of it ... Just in case :)

Pan fry the dumplings to get that golden glistening colour - closer resemblance to gold!! 

(Steamed/boiled dumplings = silver ingots)

(Fried dumplings = gold ingots)

餃子象徵來年的圓滿富貴。

Have one of these humble dumplings but loaded with promises of good fortune~~

Heck, they tasted fantastic too!! 

Cooking Lab - Come-hither Lady Luck White Radish Cake (蘿蔔糕年菜之七: 吉祥如意映雙輝)

Commonly eaten during Chinese New Year, since radish is a homophone for 'good fortune'

蘿蔔諧音彩頭即有好彩頭＜好兆＞之意。

蘿蔔糕也是過年的美味佳餚。

Cooking Lab - Stir-Fried Rice Vermicelli Noodles (年菜之三: 什錦紫山藥炒 米粉麵）

Stir-fried rice vermicelli was regarded as haute cuisine and served only at wedding banquets or festive occasions.

(c) GMV - Got My Vote!'

新年吃米粉麵，是預祝壽長百年。

近年來為了養生，米粉都加入了山藥。

這道菜助於長壽，健康。

Ingredients:

- Yam flavored Rice Vermicelli noodles (山藥米粉) x 1 packet

-  Cold Noodles (冷麵) x 1 packet 

- Carrot x 1 shredded to thin slices 

- Garlic Chives x 1 small bunch

- Pork mince 200g

- Fresh Bean Sprouts x 1 packet.

- Japanese dried mushrooms x 3 soaked

- Oyster Sauce 1T/S

- Soy Sauce 1 T/S

- Adelaide's XO sauce 2 T/S

- Salt & White Pepper

[Note: These vermicelli noodles are infused with uniquely colored purple yams and are very thin and delicate.]

Taiwanese's vermicelli rice noodles are renowned for the springy texture and tasted very different from those made in Thsiland and Malaysia.

Tonight, I am using the yam flavored rice vermicelli noodles (山藥紫米粉) for its regal colour and health benefits. In addition I've also added cold noodles to it.

因為是過年，所以料加很多，一大鍋炒得香噴噴的。那米粉麵香是我最鐘意的的家族聚餐熱鬧的口味。

這是新竹炒米粉法。炒的比較乾，米粉吃起來是Q的。吃起來是乾鬆的感覺，有油香的味道，有層次感。但是，不能吃太快，要不然胃會容易漲氣。

加入香氣十足的乾炒麵後，這米粉麵可真是天作之合呀！

Cooking Lab - Braised Aubergine & Long Beans (年菜之二: 大紅大紫紅燒沙鍋 茄子)

Long beans to wish a long life for parents.

貴氣質的紫茄子和大紅辣椒的香氣，再加上青綠的長歲豆，是一道色彩鮮豔，層次豐富的開運年菜。

用這道料理來期許新的一年更顯赫得意吧！

Cooking Lab - Five Spice Beer Fried Chicken 年菜之一: 招財黃金啤酒鹽酥雞

A special Chinese New Year's Eve treat to indulge in just a little bit of moreish junk food.

Not the KFC Colonel Sanders' eleven secret herb & spices - just the five spices & Beer in this dish! 

The literal translation is salted crispy chicken - the forever popular Taiwanese soul food. 

  

Fresh basil is the key element of this dish - they will give the chicken so much flavour and aroma!!

Enjoy before I finish them up!

(c) GMV - Got My Vote!

The Taiwanese-style fried chicken involves marinating the meat first. The chicken pieces are soaked in a mixture of soy/oyster sauce, rice wine and ample Aussie beer just for kicks.

Ingredients:

- 1 whole chicken breast

- 1/2 cup oyster sauce

- 1T sugar syrup 

- 1T Chinese cooking wine

- 1/2 Beer

- Salt & Pepper

- 1 egg

- 1 cup of Sweet Potato Statch

- 1 bunch of fresh Thai Basil (this variety is more fragrant than the normal basil - closest I can find to match the authentic taste)

- Five-Spice Fried Chicken Salt

This is the secret ingredient - Sweet Potato Starch. It's what keeping the coating crispy and holding a great crunch long after frying. Perfect for texture synergy with the incredible juicy chicken inside.

Instructions:

1. Marinate the chicken pieces overnight.

2. Add an egg to the mixture & mix well.

3. Lightly toss the chicken pieces in the sweet potato starch.

4. Deep fried till golden.

5. Throw in some Thai Basil for 20 seconds at the end. 

Crispy on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside. Amazingly flavourful. 

Very nice when you can taste a hint of beer:)

Add a generous sprinkling of the special 5-spice fried chicken salt to bring a perfect finish to a moreish snack.

Hmmm...crispy, salty and spice-peppery. Yum! So very addictive. 

Concoted a new flavour.

Well, like Christmas dinner preparation, CNY dinner is equally exhausting. Usually one need to prepare 6,8 or 10 dishes for this special night.

A glass of wine in one hand, pour in 1/2 glass of beer into the marinate. Hey, if I needed a drink, the chicken needed one too.

This new variation reflect my creativity, resourcefulness and ...,,drunkness. Haha.

The best part of this dish is the mandatory garnish - the deep fried Thai bas leaves!! Goes so well with another drink ...

Turn out to be so addictive even more so than KFC.