Chinese New Year-Inspired Recipes from The Lazy Gourmet

Chinese New Year Buddha's Feast with Sweet Potato Noodles

Ingredients

• 1 x 12 oz bag sweet potato noodles
• 6 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 12 medium dried shitake mushrooms (soaked in water over night, stem removed, and julienned)
• 1/2 cup dried wood ear (soaked in water for 1 hour, squeeze liquid, julienned)
• 1/2 cup dried lily flower (soaked in water for 1 hour, squeeze liquid, tie each into a knot)
• 1 x 200g dried bean curd sticks (soaked in water for 1 hour, squeeze liquid, cut into 2" pieces)
• 1 can x 390ml whole straw mushrooms (drain, cut in half)
• 1 medium carrot, julienned
• 24 each snap peas,whole
• 3 cups napa cabbage, chopped into 2" pieces
• 2 tsp crushed garlic
• 2 slices garlic, 2" wide x 1/4"thick
• 7-8 tbsp oyster sauce

Method

1. In medium stock pot, bring 6 cups of water to a boil. Add noodles. Stir. Cook until al dente. Immediately remove noodles into a cold ice bath. Rinse noodles under cold running water. Drain. Place into mixing bowl. Add soy sauce, sesame oil and sugar. Mix until all ingredients are combined.  Cover. Set aside.
2. Heat a wok over medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoon oil. Add garlic, ginger, shitake, wood ear, straw mushroom and lily flower. Saute for 3 minutes. Add the bean curd, carrots and snap pea, saute for another 2 minutes. Lastly, add the napa cabbage, saute until soft.
3. Add noodles. Stir until combined. Season with oyster sauce to taste. 

Serves 8.

Asian Duck Confit with Kumquat Wolfberry Sauce

Ingredients

• 4 duck legs
• ¼ cup kosher salt
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 1 tbsp five-spice powder
• 2 shallots, sliced
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 orange (skin only)
• 2 whole star anise
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 4 whole cloves
• 4 cups duck fat

Method

1. Pat duck legs with paper towel until dry. Set in shallow pan.
2. Combine salt, brown sugar and five-spice together. Rub mixture all over duck legs.
3. Except for duck fat, add remaining ingredients to duck legs and mix.
4. Cover. Let sit in fridge overnight.
5. Preheat oven to 300°F.
6. Melt duck fat.
7. Remove duck legs from fridge. Rub off the shallots, garlic, orange and whole spices. Place in a parchment lined deep casserole dish.
8. Pour cool duck fat over legs. Cover with foil.
9. Place in oven and cook for about 2½ hours or until meat is almost falling away from the bone. Cool in fat. Place in fridge overnight.
10. To cook, remove the confit duck legs from the fat. Place a sauté pan on the stove over medium heat. Add duck legs, skin side down, and cook until crispy on both sides.

Serves 4.

Kumquat Wolfberry Sauce

Ingredients

• 6 kumquat, sliced in rings, seeds removed
• 1 tbsp wolfberries (goji berries)
• 1 tbsp ginger, grated
• 1½ cup orange juice
• ¼ cup honey
• ½ lemon

Method

1. Place orange juice and honey in a saucepan.
2. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to allow orange juice mixture to simmer.
3. Add kumquats and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until mixture is reduced to 1 cup.
4. Remove from heat. Add wolfberries.
5. Squeeze lemon juice in and whisk.
6. To serve, place duck legs over noodles or rice and spoon sauce over top.

Almond Financiers

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sugar
• ¼ cup all purpose flour
• ¼ cup ground almonds
• 6 egg whites
• ¾ cup sliced almonds
• Icing sugar, for dusting

Method:

1. Brown butter in a pot.
2. Mix in all remaining ingredients.
3. Add in browned butter.
4. Let rest in fridge to thicken.
5. Pipe into small greased mini muffin tins.
6. Top with 1 sliced almond.
7. Bake at 350* degrees F, 15 to 20 minutes till golden brown.
8. Once cooled dust with icing sugar.

Makes 24.