New Year’s Fishes

Gung Hay Fat Choy! Happy New Year! To celebrate the coming of the New Year, the Chinese prepare certain foods because they have a specific meaning. Whole fish symbolizes togetherness and abundance and is a very important New Year’s food; the green onions that top the fish are a sign of brilliance.

There are rules to preparing whole fish. Always keep the fish intact while cooking and never turn it over. To serve, filet the upper portion of the fish, cutting horizontally along the bone. Cut the bone at the neck, then peel it back to remove it and reach the bottom portion of the fish.

This is a classic Chinese poached fish recipe. Any white meat fish can be substituted for the trout. Serve the poached fish with warm steamed rice, which symbolizes wealth and prosperity. A sweet conclusion to your Chinese New Year meal would be tangerines to guarantee you abundant happiness for the year to come.

Menu

Cantonese Poached Fish With Ginger and Green Onions

Steamed White Rice

Tangerines

Cantonese Poached Fish With Ginger and Green Onions

Active Work Time: 10 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Look for thin soy sauce and sweet soy sauce at Asian markets.

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon white pepper

2 teaspoons oil

1 (1 1/4-pound) whole trout, head and tail intact

3 green onions, 1 cut in half lengthwise, 2 thinly sliced

1 (1-inch) piece ginger root, sliced

3 tablespoons thin soy sauce

1 tablespoon sweet soy sauce

* Combine salt and pepper with oil in small bowl.

* Gently rinse trout with cold water and pat dry. Rub fish inside and out with oil mixture.

* Place 2 inches water in 14-inch skillet and add green onion halves, ginger, thin soy sauce and sweet soy sauce. Bring to boil, then reduce to simmer. Add trout, cover and cook until flesh begins to flake off bone, about 10 minutes. Gently lift fish onto plate, keeping fish intact.

* Spoon small amount of cooking liquid onto fish, then top with thinly sliced green onions.

3 to 4 servings. Each of 4 servings: 189 calories; 1,756 mg sodium; 59 mg cholesterol; 9 grams fat; 2 grams carbohydrates; 24 grams protein; 0.04 gram fiber.

Steamed White Rice

Active Work Time: 5 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 20 minutes * Easy

2 cups water

Salt

1 cup white rice

* Bring water and 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt to boil in small saucepan. Add rice, cover and cook over low heat 15 to 20 minutes until rice is tender and water is absorbed. Fluff with fork before serving.

3 to 4 servings. Each of 4 servings: 134 calories; 0 sodium; 0 cholesterol; 0 fat; 29 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams protein; 0 fiber.

Game plan

30 minutes before: Start cooking rice. Rinse fish and pat dry. Season fish and let stand.

20 minutes before: Bring poaching liquid to boil and start fish.

5 minutes before: Fluff rice. Plate fish and top with sliced green onions.

Ingredients

Shopping List

Ginger root

Green onions

Sweet soy sauce

Tangerines

Thin light? soy sauce

Whole trout

Staples

White pepper

White rice