Happy Lunar New Year!
In celebration of the Year of the Tiger, Chef Ming Tsai shared his recipes to bring good fortune in the new year with "Good Morning America."
Tsai explains the significance of each dish and shares his recipes for dumplings and bings, a roasted whole fish, watercress and warm sticky rice pudding below.
"These are about the size of an ingot of gold. You want to eat wealthy, rich foods heading into the new year," he said.
For the Dim Sum Dipper:
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoon rice vinegar
1-2 tablespoon sambal or your favorite hot sauce
Mix well, serve inside a dipping bowl
For the Bings served with 8,000 Island Dipper
8,000 Island Dipper:
1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise
2 tablespoon ketchup
2 tablespoon chopped pickled peppers
Mix well, serve inside a dipping bowl
Green vegetables like watercress and bok choy are traditionally consumed to signify financial prosperity and good fortune, according to Tsai, who shared this recipe for his "money" watercress.
Ingredients:
1 bunch scallions, sliced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 pound watercress (upland cress from B&W is the best)
1 tablespoon tamari
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
Grapeseed oil to cook
Directions:
In a hot wok or sauté pan, coat with oil and wok stir wok scallions, then add garlic and ginger, season. Add watercress, season. Add tamari and plate. Garnish with sesame oil and sesame seeds.
Traditionally a whole fish, chicken, or duck are eaten to bring wholeness into your new year, Tsai explained.
Ingredients:
1 whole organic chicken
2 quarts of chicken stock
1 hand ginger, washed, thin sliced
1 onion, diced
1 large carrot, peeled, diced
4 ribs of celery, diced
2 tablespoons tamari
Kosher salt and white pepper to taste
Directions:
Season the chicken inside and out with salt and pepper. In a large clay pot or stockpot, fill with stock, all vegetables, and tamari. Place chicken in, should be completely submerged.
Cover and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 10 min, then turn off and leave the cover on to continue cooking. Don’t touch for 45 min!
Celebrating with sticky food is good luck. It represents a close-knit family and attracts good fortune that stays with the person, according to Tsai.
Ingredients:
2 cups glutinous rice, soaked 24 hrs in water, steamed
1 cup coconut milk
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon minced ginger
3 large oranges, zested and segmented
1/2 cup Grand Mariner
Directions:
Steam the rice for an hour on cheesecloth. Meanwhile, heat coconut milk, add honey and vanilla. Mix hot rice with coconut mixture. Can bowl this up in four bowls. Steam in bamboo steamers for service.
In a sauté pan, add butter and sauté ginger and zest. Add oranges and toss and flambé with grand mariner.
Recipes courtesy of Chef Ming Tsai.
