Even though I left home almost 30 years ago, I still practice the one of the Chinese New Year rituals – cooking a traditional Chinese steamboat.
But first, what is a steamboat?
It is where we have an array of raw and marinated ingredients to dip into the simmering stock. Imagine having your family members sitting around the table, and you have a hot pot of soup simmering in the middle of the table. The big pot is surrounded by an array of pre-marinated fresh raw ingredients, such as prawns, calamari, meat, vegetables etc.
We normally have steamboat on Chinese New Year’s Eve, where family members would come back home, whether from overseas or interstate. It is a time for catching up, exchanging experiences and to reconnect.
The beauty of this dish is it is so versatile and easy to make. However, I do not downplay the effort of all the preparations; sometimes it would take a couple of hours just to clean, cut and marinade all the raw ingredients.
Hey, why not get your children involved as well! Get them to clean and cut the vegetables, choose the marinating sauce, set the tables etc. They have fun and learn so many practical things.
This is the recipe that I enjoy at home with my family here in Australia. Because there are only the four of us, I use less ingredients that we would normally have at home in Malaysia.
Be creative and add any ingredient of your choice to this versatile dish. Enjoy the experience!
Ingredients:
12 uncooked prawns – shelled and deveined
300g minced pork
200g chicken fillet (your choice of thigh or breast fillet) – sliced diagonally
1 tube calamari
100g ginger – julienned (for garnishing)
100g Chinese cabbage
100g choi sum
10 baby corn pieces
2 litres of water
Pinch of salt and pepper
4 cloves garlic – chopped finely
500g of hokkien noodles
Preparations:
Stock
2 litres of water brought to the boil; add chicken bones and brew for 20 minutes. Add salt to taste. Add 2 tbsp of garlic oil to stock for an amazing aroma.
Garlic oil
Heat 5 Tbsp cooking oil – add garlic and fry for 1minute (approx) until aromatic and brown – keep aside and allow to cool.
Calamari
Preparation:
Wash and cut calamari length ways so that it lays flat. Using a sharp knife, score shallow diagonal cuts in criss-cross patterns on the outside surface, then cut into 4cm x 4cm pieces. Place them into a bowl.
Marinade: 2 tsp soy sauce, 2 tsp sesame oil, 1 tsp fish sauce, 1 tsp garlic oil
Minced Pork
Preparation:
Buy the readymade minced pork from your butcher or you can mince your own pork. I would recommend 50/50 lean and fat pork for the mince mixture.
Marinade: 2 tsp soy sauce, 2 tsp sesame oil, 1 tsp corn flour, 1 tsp garlic oil
Chicken
Your choice of thigh or breast meat – sliced diagonally
Marinade: 2 tsp soy sauce, 2 tsp sesame oil, 1 tbsp shao shin wine and garnish with ginger
Prawns
12 uncooked prawns – shelled and deveined but with tail intact
Marinade: 2 tsp soy sauce, 2 tsp sesame oil and garnish with ginger
Vegetables
Choy Sum – Wash and drain. Cut into 5cm lengths.
Chinese cabbage – Wash and drain. Cut into 5cm lengths.
Baby Corn – boil 30 ml of water; blanch corn for about 1 minute.
Note: You can use any marinade of your choice, and add any ingredients of your choice!
Number of people: 4
Preparation time: 60 minutes
Cooking time: Duration of the dinner
Grab your fresh food ingredients:
Thank you for your emails. I really enjoy reading them and this newsletter has come in very handy for this CNY. My husband is Chinese Malaysian and it was always a family tradition, in his family, to have the family meal on the eve. We too are having steamboat. I am not Asian but have instilled in my children the importance of their culture and family. So, with my two boys, their partners, also non Asian and a granddaughter we will be celebrating and looking forward to CNY just as we look forward to celebrating Xmas. Kung Hei Fat Choy!
Hi Maria,
So wonderful to hear:) Do you give red packets as well?
Kung Hei Fat Choy! to you and family as well.
Hello I have a non electric steamboat that was given to me many years ago and when I moved back to New
Zealand I never knew how to heat it up – can you advise me how to do this safely? It is a steamboat that has a
middle chimney with a place for the stock around the sides. I would really love to entertain friends and family by
having them around often to experience how delicious it is.