6 recipes to celebrate Lunar New Year

Chances are good you have a list of traditional foods required to usher in the new year on Jan. 1. Hoppin’ John or black-eyed peas for luck? Greens and cornbread to bring in the money?

If your family traces its roots back to Asia, you’re getting ready to celebrate the start of a different new year, the Chinese or Lunar New Year, which begins Jan. 25.

The holiday is a time for feasting with family and friends with everything prepared in enough quantity to promise plenty of leftovers, an assurance of continuing prosperity.

Sho You, co-owner of Buckhead's Urban Wu restaurant, has been in the States since his family immigrated here from Liaoning in northeast China 18 years ago. They landed in Atlanta, where You graduated from Cross Keys High School. He's always worked in the restaurant business, including several years spent working with Peter Chang of Tasty China. Now he and executive chef Xue Guo Wu have opened their own place.

You’s family Lunar New Year’s celebration will be a large party, with lots of food served family-style. “We will have many dishes and especially seafood, including crab and lobster. There will be fish and also frog.” All food is prepared by his parents. The number of dishes is important. Three is OK, but six, eight or nine dishes are best.

For our story, You and co-owner and Urban Wu executive chef Xue Guo Wu shared three recipes that are all on the menu at Urban Wu and easy enough to execute at home. The restaurant will offer special Lunar New Year’s dishes as well.

Home cook Jennifer McCormick is a first-generation American, born to parents who came to the States from Taiwan. The family arrived in Lyons, Georgia, sponsored by McCormick’s aunt and her American-born husband. “Our family is from Taipei, a very metropolitan area. My mother tells me that when they flew to this country, they started out in Seattle. She thought that was a promising place to be. Then they drove down the West Coast. All fine. And then flew to Atlanta. Also good. But when they got in a car for three hours and arrived at her sister’s farm in Lyons, she cried out, ‘Where have you taken me?’ and she didn’t want to get out.”

The family settled in and ultimately opened New China restaurant in Swainsboro, where they have been serving Chinese food to their customers for almost 30 years.

McCormick remembers gathering for the Lunar New Year as a child as pure fun. “We didn’t have to help with the cooking because my mom always kicked us out of the kitchen, and we’d get little lucky red envelopes with cash called hongbao. Now I help cook, and I give red envelopes to my cousins and nephews who are younger than me and to my parents. The older generation raised us and provided everything. Now we turn around and do the same.”

For our story, McCormick worked with her mother to adapt family recipes for fish, dumplings and sticky rice. “These are her recipes, modified for a smaller crowd, convenience and ingredient availability.”

The Lunar New Year is the biggest annual holiday in Asia with celebrations generally lasting two weeks. “In New York and San Francisco, you will find big parades and fireworks. But here it is more low-key, a chance to be around family. My mom prepares a giant meal. She does not know how to cook in moderation,” said McCormick, laughing. “If there are 10 people coming, she will cook for 30. It’s insane how much she can cook in one sitting and in just a few hours.”

The meal will always include a whole fish since that symbolizes prosperity for the new year, as well as beef, duck and much more, all served family-style. “I love to cook, but in my mom’s eyes, I am still 5 years old. She just lets me chop.”

RECIPES

There are many great places to enjoy a Lunar New Year’s meal in metro Atlanta’s Chinese restaurant community, but why not try a few of these dishes at home? Home cook Jennifer McCormick says she gets everything she needs in one place by going to H Mart or the Buford Highway Farmers Market.

Pork and Cabbage Dumplings (Jiaozi)

McCormick says these dumplings can also be made with ground chicken thigh or ground beef that’s at least 80/20. You will usually find the dumpling wrappers sold frozen.

You can boil your dumplings, but if you’re at all worried about how well you’ve sealed your dumplings, steaming or pan frying is the way to go. We’ve provided directions for pan frying.

It seems as if the recipe makes a lot, but 70 dumplings will disappear before you know it.

You can also prepare the dumplings and freeze what you don’t need right away. To freeze, arrange the formed dumplings on a baking sheet and wrap well, then freeze. Once frozen, remove them to a freezer container or bag and keep them up to two months before cooking. No need to thaw before steaming.

McCormick often uses low-sodium soy sauce, but when she has it on hand, she uses the soy sauce her father makes for his Swainsboro restaurant.

— Adapted from a recipe provided by Jennifer McCormick.

Sticky Rice with Chicken, Mushrooms and Chinese Sausage

This dish requires a little preplanning as the rice must soak for a few hours, the dried mushrooms need to hydrate and the chicken needs to marinate. But once that’s done, it goes together quickly and then cooks unattended while you prepare the rest of the meal.

Short-grain sticky rice is often labeled “sweet” rice and indeed the finished dish is so sticky you could probably eat it with your fingers. Those of us who are chopstick-challenged will find this dish matches our skills.

Chinese sausages are generally made from pork that is salted, marinated and smoked. They are shelf-stable and should be refrigerated after opening. Whole steamed chestnuts can be found with Asian canned vegetables.

— Adapted from a recipe provided by Jennifer McCormick.

Fish Fillet with Soy-Ginger Sauce

While whole fish is traditionally served for the new year, McCormick adapted her mother’s recipe to work with fish fillets.

— Adapted from a recipe provided by Jennifer McCormick.

Peanut Salad with Black Vinegar

At Urban Wu, this dish is offered as an appetizer. The combination of sweet and tart with onion and jalapeno will keep you and your guests reaching for just a few more.

— Adapted from a recipe provided by executive chef Xue Guo Wu of Urban Wu.

Sichuan Style Stir-Fried String Beans

Sichuan Ya Cai, a condiment of lightly fermented mustard greens, is a specialty ingredient from Sichuan. It’s salty and spicy and essential if you want to re-create the traditional flavor of this dish. That said, these beans are delicious without it.

This dish makes a great vegan entree.

— Adapted from a recipe provided by executive chef Xue Guo Wu of Urban Wu.