Celebration for the Chinese Lunar New Year has begun, so celebrate in the most delicous way possible - with a spread of these divine meals.
Sichuan dan dan noodles
You'll find Chinkiang black vinegar, chilli crisp oil, suì mĭ yá cài and Shaoxing cooking wine at Asian supermarkets and online.
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
Dan dan sauce
1/3 cup smooth peanut butter
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons Chinkiang black vinegar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
3 cloves garlic, crushed
11/2 tablespoons caster sugar
1/2 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns, ground and toasted
2 tablespoons chilli crisp oil, (I used Lao Gan Ma Spicy Chilli Crisp), plus extra to serve
Pork topping
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
600 grams pork mince
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 tablespoons Shaoxing cooking wine
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon caster sugar
1/3 cup suì mĭ yá cài (see Cook's Note)
To serve
400 grams fresh egg noodles
2 large heads bok choy, halved lengthways
2 tablespoons chopped roasted peanuts
Directions
1. Dan dan sauce: In a medium bowl, whisk together all the sauce ingredients, then set aside.
2. Pork topping: Heat the vegetable oil in a wok or sauté pan. Add the pork mince and ginger and fry until the pork is tender and cooked through. Use a wooden spoon to break the mince apart. Add the garlic, Shaoxing, soy sauce and sugar and fry for 2-3 minutes until the pork is dark brown and all the liquid has evaporated. Add the suì mĭ yá cài and heat through.
3. To serve: Cook the noodles in a large pot of salted water according to the packet instructions. Add the bok choy and cook for 1 minute then use tongs to remove from the water. Drain the noodles, reserving 1½ cups of the cooking water. Add the water to the sauce and stir to combine. Divide the sauce and noodles among serving bowls. Top with the fried pork, boy choy and peanuts. Serve with chilli crisp oil on the side.
Cook's note: If you can't get suì mĭ yá cài (preserved mustard greens), just add salt to taste.
Hand-pulled noodles and cumin lamb
These delicious noodles are surprisingly straightforward. Don't worry if they rip slightly as you pull them, you will hardly notice once mixed in with the cumin lamb.
Serves: 4–6
Ingredients
Hand-pulled noodles
2 cups high grade flour, plus extra for cutting
½ teaspoon salt
Cumin lamb
3 boneless lamb leg steaks, finely sliced, fat discarded
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons Shaoxing Chinese cooking wine
2 tablespoons ginger, minced
½ bunch fresh coriander
sesame oil, for frying
1 red onion, cut into wedges
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 red chilli, finely chopped
2 bunches of bok choy, roughly chopped
1 cup mung bean sprouts
3 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons kecap manis
2 tablespoons chilli in oil
Directions
1. Hand-pulled noodles: In a large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, mix together the high grade flour, salt and 250ml water. Knead until a smooth dough forms. Cover and set aside to rest for 20 minutes.
2. Place the dough on a floured flat surface. Using a rolling pin, roll into a 30cm x 30cm square. Using a sharp knife, cut dough into 8 long strips. Dust with extra flour, cover and set aside for 20 minutes.
3. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Take the noodle strips one at a time and use your hands to gently stretch the noodle out until around 3 times the original length. As you drop the noodle into the water, stretch it out further.
4. Cook for 2 minutes or until the noodle has risen to the surface. Transfer to a colander and repeat with remaining noodles. Run the noodles under cold water if they begin to stick together in the colander.
5. Cumin lamb: Place the lamb strips, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine and ginger in a large bowl, cover and set aside to marinate for 1 hour.
6. Pick the coriander leaves and place to one side, then finely chop the stalks.
7. Heat a little sesame oil in a large sauté pan and fry the red onion until translucent. Add the garlic, cumin seeds, ground cumin, coriander stalks and fresh chilli and fry for 2 minutes. Add the bok choy and fry for a further 2 minutes. Place the contents of the pan into a bowl and set aside.
8. In the same sauté pan, heat a little more sesame oil. Add the marinated lamb and fry for 3 minutes or until just browned. Fry in batches if pan is overcrowded. Add the spices and bok choy back into the pan along with the noodles, mung bean sprouts, soy sauce, kecap manis and chilli oil and heat through.
9. Serve with coriander leaves and extra chilli oil.
Pork and chive dumplings
These Chinese dumplings are incredibly succulent and flavourful.
Serves: 10
Ingredients
Dumplings
230 grams of pork mince
1 egg
3cm piece of ginger, minced
⅓ cup of garlic chives, finely chopped
¼ cup of coriander stalks, finely chopped
1 ½ tablespoons of Shaoxing wine
40 dumpling wrappers
vegetable oil
Dipping sauce
¼ cup of Chinese black vinegar (chinkiang vinegar)
2 tablespoons of chilli oil and seeds
2 tablespoons of soy sauce
1 small handful of garlic chives, finely chopped
The garlic chives, also known as Chinese chives can be found at any good Asian grocer along with the Shaoxing wine, chinkiang vinegar, soy sauce, chilli oil and dumpling wrappers. These dumplings can be made in advance and frozen.
Directions
1. Blitz your pork in a food processor for 3–4 minutes until pork has become gluey.
2. In a bowl, combine the pork mince, egg, ginger, garlic chives, coriander stalks and shoaxing wine.
3. Set yourself up with a bowl of water, a tray dusted with flour, your dumpling wrappers and mince meat.
4. Take a heaped teaspoon of pork mince and place in the centre of your dumpling wrapper. Wet your pastry brush and dab a little water around the edges. Gently fold the dumpling wrapper over to make a semicircle and press any air bubbles out as you go. Firmly seal the edges, flatten base of each dumpling and place on the floured tray.
5. Combine the ingredients for the dipping sauce minus half of the garlic chives and set both aside.
6. Heat a non-stick frypan with a lid, over a medium/high heat and add a good glug of vegetable oil. Boil a large jug of water.
7. Place your dumplings, 10 at a time (depending on size of pan) in the oil. Cook until golden brown on the base, this should take around 45–60 seconds. Add 1 cup of boiling water, cover and cook for 4 minutes.
8. Arrange dumplings in a bowl and pour over half the dipping sauce, placing the other half in a side bowl for serving. Sprinkle with remaining garlic chives.
- Recipes by Olivia Galletly
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