Don’t be intimidated, this dish is actually really easy to make! It’s just a matter of fancy plating. During Chinese New Year, it is customary to have lots of luxury seafood, such as abalone, scallops, fish maw, prawns, etc. While you can find imitation versions of these in Asia, I decided to use mushrooms instead so anyone anywhere can make this dish at home.
6 is a very lucky number in Chinese culture, signifying auspiciousness. This dish is based on a Chinese idiom 六六大顺 (liù liù dà shùn) which means “everything will work out smoothly”. So we have 6 heads of bok choy, 6 shiitake mushroom “abalone”, and 6 king oyster mushroom “scallops”. Pak choi or bok choy is a popular symbol of good luck. In Cantonese, pak choy sounds like “a hundred wealths”.
666 may have certain negative connotations in the West, but in current colloquial Chinese terms it means “super awesome”. Just imagine someone shaking the shaka hand sign and going, “liu liu liu!” The same hand sign is also used for counting the number 6 by Chinese, so you appreciate the relevance.
I will be adding Chinese New Year dishes under the CNY 年菜 category so check it out!
Ingredients
- Sauce
Instructions
- Soak the dried shiitake mushrooms in cool water overnight. Keep the mushroom water for the sauce.
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Wash the bok choy thoroughly. Soak the goji berries in warm water. Score the king oyster mushroom stems and the underside of the shiitake mushrooms. Finely chop the garlic, onion, and shiitake mushroom stems.
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Blanch the bok choy. I did it in the pan but you can, of course, use a pot.
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Pull off the bigger leaves and place them on the bottom of the serving plate. Then put the bok choy hearts in an asterisk fashion, curling the leaves to the side.
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Heat 0.5 tbsp of oil in a pan and sear the mushrooms until darkened on both sides.
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Set aside for later.
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Heat 0.5 tbsp of oil in a pan and fry the red onion, ginger, and minced mushroom stalks until the onion is translucent.
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Add the garlic and fry until the raw smells disappears.
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Add the mushrooms and the sauce and goji berries into the pan. Toss for about 1-2 minutes to combine.
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Plate the mushrooms and pour the sauce over.
