Happy New Year to you!
It's going to be a exciting year for me, taxing year too. Both my kids will be going to new school tomorrow. My son in Primary 1 and my daughter in Nursery. My daughter will be going to her brother's old school and she is very familiar with the school environment and teachers there. So I'm not as worried. It's my son whom I'm worried about. Primary school life is so different, more disciple needed, much longer school hours, etc. I'm praying that he can cope and adapt to the new environment and new school rules fast.
As both my kids will be in different session, I might not be able to blog as much. So pardon me if I go missing for a while. I'll still blog as much as I could.
I know it might be a bit early for Chinese New Year. It's still 26 days away. But if you are thinking of what to cook for your CNY dinner, here's a suggestion.
Before you go to the recipe, my best wishes to you for a great year ahead and may you always stay in the pink of health!
Ingredients:
- 2 Crayfish, meat removed from shells
- 1 Chinese Marrow or Hairy Gourd (节瓜）
- 20 Wolfberries (枸杞子), soaked to soften
- 150g Stock
- Salt to taste
- Sugar to taste
- Cornflour mixture (thickener)
- Cooking Oil
- 1 tablespoon Cooking Wine
- 1 teaspoon Sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon Light Soy Sauce
- 1/2 Egg White
- 1 teaspoon Corn Flour
- Cut crayfish into smaller pieces.
- Marinate the crayfish meat for 20 minutes.
- Skin the Chinese Marrow and cut into equal thickness.
- Remove the center seeds by using a circle cookie cutter or just a spoon.
- Blanch Chinese Marrow rings in hot oil for 1 minute. It helps keep the rings in shape and seal in the sweetness. Skip this step is you like.
- Add in the wolfberries to the stock.
- Add salt to taste.
- Drain the rings and add into the stock
- Simmer for 3 minutes or till soft, depending on your taste.
- Retain the stock.
- Drain crayfish meat from marinade and stuff in the rings in a deep dish.
- Steam for 12 minutes or till crayfish is thoroughly cooked.
- When steaming the rings, prepare the sauce.
- Add sugar to taste to the previously used stock for simmering the rings.
- When the sauce starts to bubbles, gradually stir in the thickener to thicken the sauce.
- Pour sauce over the steam rings with crayfish and serve.
- You can replace the crayfish with prawns.
- Remove heads and shells of prawns. Slit the back of prawns, devien and clean them before use.
- You can curl your prawns like what I did for this dish or simply use it as it is.
- Just place the back in the ring, that is, tail pointing up.
- DO NOT add egg white and corn flour in the marinade if using whole prawn.
- If using smaller prawns, you might want to consider either getting smaller/thinner Chinese Marrow so there the prawn can fill up the hole or shell the prawns and cut into smaller pieces like what I did with the crayfish.
- Adjust the steaming time accordingly as prawns takes a shorten time to cook. Over cooking will make the prawn tough.
Happy 2009!
ReplyDeleteYou are really a super mom!
hey, have been following your food blog for a while now. thanks for the lovely recipe ideas! i'm in a western country with no hairy gourd. what would be a good replacement for that if i'd like to cook this dish with crayfish?
ReplyDeleteD
Happy new year to you and your family!!
ReplyDeleteLovely dish!
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year!
Nice dish! Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteI have been reading your blog for a while now. Love your crafts and love your yummy food !
Dropping by to wish you and your family a wonderful year ahead :)
Hey! I bought a chinese marrow the other day and don't know what to cook with it besides making soup! This is indeed a very good idea for me! Tks for sharing! Happy New Year to you!
ReplyDeleteJust wanted to say I love your signature. Very cute little wok!
ReplyDeletewow looks delicious .. would try it out someday
ReplyDeletebtw Wishing you a Happy Chinese New Year 2009 !! (:
Delish! Drooling...Will give this recipe a try. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeletePRESENTATION and TASTE- PERFECT!!!!
ReplyDeleteTigerfish,
ReplyDelete*blush* Thank you.
Have a great year too!
Anonymous,
Thanks for the support.
Are you able to get Winter Melon? It's a good choice too. If you are using it, use a cookie cutter to cut out each piece to be use. The remaining winter melon can be used to make soup.
If you cant get winter melon, the idea is to get a veg, not leafy type though, that it lightly sweet in taste so compliments the sweetness of the shellfish.
Angled Loofah might be another good choice.
Enjoy wokking!
Annie,
Thank you. Have a happy new year too!
Mycookinghut, pigpigcorner, 4malmal,
Thank you very much. Wishing you guys the very best in 2009!
Bits of Life n Taste,
Hope you like it. :)
Happy New year to you too!
Sarah Jane,
:) Thank you!
Sarah,
Thank you!
Wow! My first Chinese New Year greeting! Thanks! Gong Xi Fa Cai to you! ;)
Jade,
;) You are most welcome.
Health cover,
Thanks for the compliments.