Another auspicious veggie dish for the Lunar New Year. Actually I made this 2 days before the reunion dinner for an ordinary dinner. I didn't have time to do my post and by now.. the dateline to submit to Aspiring Bakers have ended.
Did I fill these with wishes? Hahaha, no. It's fish paste filled, fish-wish, see?
And in Chinese, the word 余(abundance) is always related with 鱼 (fish) because it sounds similiar.
This Steamed Baby Bok Choy with Fish Paste arranged in this manner resembles the spoon chrysanthemum. Yes, the petals on this type of chrysanthemum does look like a spoon. Something, again that I didn't do on purpose. I just thought of arranging it just like how I saw it in my mom's cookbooks, but that's another version made with chicken.
Wish-filled Jade Chrysanthemum (Steamed Baby Bok Choy with Fish Paste)
Created by: Wendyywy
6 baby bok choy (Siew pak choy)
250gm fish paste (more or less)
1 piece of ham, finely chopped or cut into shapes
Tapioca starch for dusting (tapioca starch has better adherence than cornstarch)
Sauce
1 tsp chicken stock powder
2/3 cup water
1 tsp cornstarch
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1 Tbsp cooking oil
½ tsp sesame ol
1. Half baby bok choy. Bring a saucepan of water to boil and blanch the halved bok choy for 2 seconds or until lightly wilted. Lay them on a flat surface, cut side up.
2. Sprinkle the lower part(2 inches from the base) of the baby bok choy with tapioca starch. Lightly tap them in.
3. Fill the base of the baby bok choy with fish paste . Garnish with some chopped ham. Arrange on a steaming plate. The leaves can overlap, but the base cannot.
4. Steam on high heat for 10 minutes (depending on size). Remove from steaming plate and arrange nicely on serving plate.
5. Prepare sauce. Combine water, starch and stock powder. Heat pan and put in oil. Saute garlic until fragrant, but NOT golden. Pour in stock mixture and then sesame oil. Bring to a boil, adjust thickness with more starch+water if needed. Taste. Pour sauce over arranged baby bok choy.
Beautiful dish!
ReplyDeleteWow, I am so impressed of this dish. So much like the 5-star restaurant! Must be delicious.
ReplyDeletepretty dish!
ReplyDeleteNice...I have some bok choy at home. You have just given me ideas on how to cook them :) Thanks Wendy..you are so creative...simple dish yet so delicious :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea with the bok choy. Thanks. And it looks really pretty with the ham.
ReplyDeletethis is seriously a very cool dish! Great job.
ReplyDeleteadui, m drooling again seeing this foodie but it's a healthy dish n good one for those yg x suka sayur :)
ReplyDeleteWell, this dish should be easy for me :D Got vege, got fish (paste)... a yummy and balance dish.
ReplyDeletesuch a wonderful idea
ReplyDeletea wonderful name for a beautiful dish...:)
ReplyDeletei want to learn making this too some other day...i like both veges and fish paste...
only you can think of dish, filling that part of the veggies with fish paste! pandai!
ReplyDeletethis looks gorgeous wendy!! what a clever idea to use the stems of the bok choy as spoons. I love it! and I love fish balls and bokchoy together, so this just sounds like a perfect combination!
ReplyDeleteSonia, Mel and Fong,
ReplyDeleteThanks!
Elin,
no ler.. idea derived from a cookbook, changed it only.
Sharon,
Add some colour, if not will look so dead
Marina,
thanks!
Vera,
whole week sayur ler :)
Yvonne,
Good for your kids :)
Small Kucing,
Thanks!
Sherleen,
Haha,I tried to be creative for CNY ma.. although it's over
lena,
No la... I saw it from my mom's cookbook, except it was with chicken paste
Shu Han,
If you ever come to Ipoh, Perak, There's one YTF stall that stuffs even enoki. How do they do it, I don't know. LOL.
Oh this is healthy and delicious, but the fish paste would be a challenge to make unless I can get ready made fish paste huh!
ReplyDeleteHey friend...your dishes are always very well presented...beautiful and made everyone drolling!!! I LOVE this!!!
ReplyDeleteWow ... so pretty. Wendy, pls pop over when you have a moment, I have something for you.
ReplyDeletewow such a creative dish as an ordinary dish during normal days? then your preCNY dinner must be superb! :)
ReplyDeleteLatest: Aftermath of CNY; What do you think?
Jeannie,
ReplyDeleteNowadays buying fish paste is not as hard as long ago. Some wet markets do have it.
Reese,
LOL, biasala. Intended to blog about it ma.
Yummy Bakes,
thanks
Fish. ohFishee,
Oh, reunion dinner was ordinary stuff. The previous post was for reunion dinner. LOL
These look really beautiful like from restaurant. Very creative! I made fish balls today. Should have left some fish paste to make these. Must try next time. Thanks very much for sharing. Exciting to see that you and your friends had a great time during CNY. I always enjoy pot luck parties :D
ReplyDeleteWah, really artistic.....now I want to go and eat yong tau fu for lunch liao....lol!
ReplyDeleteThe dish looks so gorgeous! Wendy, when are you publish your own book, don't forget to let me know. I will be your first fans to queue :)
ReplyDeleteWendy, wanna ask you, how did you cut out the carrot become the mini size flower?
ReplyDeleteSherleen,
ReplyDeleteNo carrots.These are ham.
Use fondant cutters.
EEEE!! I hate Blogger!! I comment and comment and then not published. Anyway, I was saying that your fish paste looks very smooth and only you will thought of filling a veg with it. Brilliant!
ReplyDeletewow!this is nice!must learn this when I am free :)
ReplyDeleteHi! I am curious if you attract a lot of traffic to your weblog?
ReplyDeleteHi Wendy,
ReplyDeleteCan I skip pre-blanching the vege before stuffing? Won't cooking the vege "twice" (pre-blanching & steaming) make it over-cooked?
Thanks.
Debby
Debby,
ReplyDeleteMine wasn't overcooked at all.
The blanching is just to wilt it for easy handling. and the shape of the vege won't distort upon further cooking. Raw vege will shrink slightly upon heat.