Gong Xi Fa Cai!

Xavier School greets you "Gong Xi Fa Cai".

The most common Chinese ways of saying Happy New Year is Gong Xi Fa Cai (Mandarin)
Gong Xi is congratulations or respectfully wishing one joy. Fa Cai is to become rich or to make money. Thus, Gong Xi Fa Cai means wishing you to be prosperous in the coming year.

For our Chinese New Year Celebration, our community opted for a simpler menu. I prepared a steamed fish fillet dish, roasted oriental chicken and mixed chinese greens for our main course. Someone from the neighborhood sent us "Cha Misua" or fried noodles, so that became one extra course. I prepared the soup the way my grandma used to prepare it --a simple chicken broth with winter melon, fishballs and pork tendon. For dessert, we have preserved lychees with almond gelatin.

Here's a very simple dish that can make your Chinese New Year meal a real treat.

Steamed Grouper with Ginger Sauce

1 kg fillet of fish (grouper or any substitute)
100 gms. dried shitake mushrooms; soaked and drained
slices of chinese ham
1/2 cup soy sauce
3 tbsp sugar
2 - 3 stalks of leeks
ginger; thinly slice
4 tbsp corn oil

1. Thinly slice the fillet of fish and shitake mushrooms
2. In a baking dish, arrange slices of fish fillet, shitake mushrooms and chinese ham alternately.
3. Thinly slice the leeks and put it on top of the fish fillet layer. Set aside.
4. Heat oil in a pan. Saute the ginger until it becomes golden brown.
5. Add the soy sauce and sugar. (You may increase or decrease the amount of soy sauce and sugar depending on how much you like your sauce to have that sweet-salty taste). Bring it to a boil then set aside.
6. Pour the ginger soy sauce over the fish. Cover with foil.
7. Steam for about 15 minutes.
8. Serving suggestion: On a plate, arrange a layer of steamed fish fillet, ham and mushrooms. Garnish with thin slices of leeks. Pour ginger sauce around the fish layer.