Download ((FREE)) Lian Qi Shi Wan Nian
Perla Hockins
My mom usually cut some red paper to put on top of the nian gao and usually on fruits too. The Chinese love red for important celebrations like Chinese New Year ? You can put red dates/jujube in the middle of the cake too.
Every lunar Chinese New Year, all the Chinese suddenly wax lyrical. Everyone begins speaking in lyrical couplets and breaking into song without provocation during this season. It's like a bad (is there a good?) Woody Allen musical. Even I, with my half baked Chinese, know at least 3 celebratory phrases. One of which is Nian Nian You Yu.
I remember this because I would hear it at a Chinese restaurant or at someone's house for Chinese New Year dinner when they beckon me to partake of some fish dish. It is terribly auspicious to eat fish during this season as the Chinese word for prosperity - "yu", sounds like the Chinese word for fish, also "yu". Thus, you will see paintings of fishes, golden fish decorations, live fish in aquariums adorning Chinese homes during Chinese New Year.
You will also see a plethora of fish dishes served during the Chinese New Year too. Everyone wants to strike it rich and what's more fun than eating your way to prosperity?
I decided to tweak this traditional Chinese practise of fishing for luck through food by playing a pun on the couplet, Nian Nian You Yu. I still had a segment of lotus root left over from my Sea Bass Soup with Lotus Root and Red Dates and I knew I had to use it before it decided to take root in my refrigerator. Then it struck me ... the Chinese word for lotus is "lian", which sounds awfully like "nian", the Chinese word for year. Wouldn't it be punny if I made a dish out of lotus roots to signify Lian Lian You Yu, which to a half deaf person would sound like Nian Nian You Yu?
Yes, I am a sad, sad person. But if it gets rid of that lotus root before it festers, it's all good. So, my under-equipped kitchen became a weird science laboratory as I began experimenting. Warning: Do not ask for proportions for all recipes in this post as I was experimenting and so reverted back to training where we cook by throwing in, dashing, pinching and tasting instead of measuring.
I had the idea of making lotus root sandwiches but in the style of how the Scots would deep fry everything from Mars bars to rude English footy hooligans. Deep fried lotus root sammiches aka Lian Lian You Yu! Brilliant! I was inspired!
I began by slicing half the lotus roots into rings and pickling them in a mixture of Chinese black vinegar, Chinese wine (hua tiao chiew) and a little sugar.
I was inspired by the ginger and black vinegar dipping sauce paired with guo tie or potstickers as well as the Japanese lotus root pickles. By pickling the lotus root, I was giving it a tartness that will counteract the deep frying yet highlight the richness of the dish.
I also decided to give a twist to the classic Pork Ribs with Lotus Roots Soup by making one of the fillings from pork. My take on the Chinese New Year celebratory and auspicious dish would be a lotus root with fish and lotus root with pork sandwiches. The pork filling sandwich cannot really be dubbed Lian Lian You Yu but I had a trick up my sleeves - I would add dried squid to the filling. The name for dried squid in Chinese is "you yu", and thus it fulfills the "yu" in the equation. I was pretty pleased at my own cleverness. Modest, aren't I?
Lian Lian You Yu Pork Filling
I seasoned the mince pork with salt and black pepper powder. I took about a teaspoon of this mixture and spreaded it onto a pickled lotus root ring. I then sandwiched another lotus root ring on top, dipped it in a beaten egg before coating it in flour I had seasoned with salt and pepper. Finally I deep fried this till golden brown
This sandwich was fairly tasty but as I had been rather conservative with the pork filling (it measured approximately 0.5 cm high), I felt that the filling was not succulent enough. So, I made another lotus root sandwich, ensuring that this time I spread a thicker pork filling. The result was much more satisfying with enough crunch and texture to make it a fairly tasty treat. I gave it a 7/10 rating.
However, I had another idea that I wanted to explore from the previous night of contemplation after the Galbi Tang debacle.
Lian Lian You Yu with Pork and Red Dates Filling
Finely dicing some red dates which I had soaked to soften earlier, I added these to the minced pork. I knew the honeyed red dates would complement the pork. Again, I sandwiched these in the pickled lotus root rings, dipped it in egg and flour before deep frying it.
This was more like it! As predicted, this lotus root sandwich now acquired a new complexity that elevated it from a tasty treat to delightful dish, which deserved a 7.5/10 rating. But I still was not satisfied. I had another idea.
Lian Lian You Yu with Pork, Red Dates and Dried Squid Filling
Yes, you read right. Dried squid. And why not? Pork ribs and Lotus Root soup's secret is the addition of dried squid which gives it that ambrosiac taste of the sea. The sweetness imparted by this should give the pork filling an added dimension. So I diced some dried squid which I had soaked hours before to soften it. I added this to the pork and red dates and mixed well.
I repeated the procedures for deep frying the sandwich. What can I say? It was totally delicious and absolutely amazing paired with a dipping sauce I made with julienned ginger and Chinese black vinegar just like the guo tie or potstickers dipping sauce. This was now a 8/10 delight.
But I really wanted to lend an East meets West fusion to this dish to reflect my own ethnicity so I decided to go for broke.
Lian Lian You Yu with Pork, Red Dates, Dried Squid and Sage Filling
Repeat the process for making the pork filling as above but sandwich a thinner layer on one lotus root ring. Placing individual fresh sage leaves on filling, I spooned another layer on top of this before sandwiching this with another lotus root ring. You now had the sage leaves sandwiched between the pork filling, which are in turn sandwiched by the lotus root rings. This is worse than a porn movie! Did I just say that? How mortifying!
At first bite, I knew I had a winner. The sweetness of the red dates, the savoury pork, the intense flavour of the dried squid and the peppery fresh kick of the sage melded brilliantly against the backdrop of the piquant lotus roots. The burst of flavours in your mouth as you crunched through the layers were a delightful surprise. Yet you were left feeling like you had just tasted a long-forgotten childhood treat.
There are many traditional ways for Chinese New Year decoration. For example, most family would place Chun Lian (Spring Festival Couplets)on the entrance of their house. Chun lian is a pair of vertical stripsof red paper, with blessing words written in calligraphic style.
My mom likes to add a teaspoon of kansui in the batter to deepen the color of the nian gao. The photo below illustrates how kansui affects the color of the steamed cake. The one on the left was made with kansui and the one on the right was made without kansui. As you can see, the nian gao made with kansui has a richer golden color.
When you are steaming something inside a wok, condensation builds up underneath the cover of the wok lid. The condensation often drips down onto the nian gao, causing the surface to become uneven. This is particularly an issue if your wok lid is made of glass. The layer of foil will protect the cake from the condensation. But note that the foil also means that the cake needs a longer time to cook.
If you decide to cover the cake pan with foil, make sure that there is about a 3/4-inch space between the top of the cake pan and the batter. The nian gao puffs up when it steams (then deflates when it cools). If you use a smaller cake pan, where the batter fills up 90% of the pan or more, the cake will touch the foil when it cooks, which will ruin the smoothness of the cake. A 9-inch cake pan like mine should be fine.
The trickiest part about developing this nian gao recipe was figuring out the correct amount of heat to put on the burner and the proper amount of water to fill inside the wok. After steaming the nian gao over 10 times over the course of several years, I have finally figured out how to cook the nian gao properly on my stove.
Slice the nian gao into 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick slices and pan fry them in oil for a few minutes, until the sides blister. The blistering gives the nian gao crunchy texture which is a great contrast to the soft and chewy center. Try to use a bamboo or wooden spatula to flip over the pieces of cake. I used metal tongs and they were annoying to use because the nian gao kept sticking to the tongs.
Great recipe. I made a half batch in an 8 inch cake pan. To test if nian gao is cooked through I recommend sticking in a knife and tasting it. If it still taste starchy, cook it longer. Def will make again.
In Chinese, the word "莲"(lotus root) is pronounced "lian", which is the same pronunciation as the Chinese character "连", which means continuous.In Eastern culture, this image of a male baby is called "年", which is pronounced "nian". This word also means "year".
Tags: ai-tahan, ai-tali, artezanatu tradisional, craft, homan, leu hina fa'i, Lore I, naha, nian fa'i, palm leaf baskets, palm leaf storage basket, palm leaves, taka hodi rai sasán, traditional craftsmanship, Vailana, weaving
Tags: ai-tahan, ai-tali, artezanatu tradisional, basket, craft, homan, Lautem, leu hina fa'i, Lore I, naha, nian fa'i, palm leaf, rai sasan, storage, traditional craftsmanship, Vailana, weaving
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