Chef Martin Yan at his birthday party Image via WikipediaFrom Denny: Chef Martin Yan, host of TV show “Yan Can Cook,” shares a traditional Chinese recipe to help us celebrate the Chinese New Year.
Large fruits, like the huge pomello, are a symbolic sign of abundance. Whole fish are also a symbol of abundance and must be served always with beer. Another part of the traditional Chinese New Year meal is there is always a vegetarian dish served.
The tangerine is gold like wealth. Dumplings look like little wrapped up gifts and are traditional for the new year. They are like little purses with treasures inside. The whole point of the Chinese New Year is to wish others a year of prosperity, abundance, good health and longevity.
This dish is just beautiful and very easy to make. The chicken is symbolic of the phoenix and the shrimp represents the dragon. The dish is served up on a bed of rice with a bowl made from egg roll wrappers shaped into the form of a lotus blossom. What a gorgeous presentation and easy enough for the home cook to do too.
