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Welcome to 2023! December 31st is traditionally a time for big celebrations that include friends, family and lots of feasting. But not everyone celebrates the dawn of the new year on that date. Chinese New Year 2023 falls on Sunday, January 22nd. Did you know that the celebrations can last more than two weeks, with the famous Lantern Festival marking the final day? Chinese New Year observes the transition between the different zodiac signs and 2023 is the Year of the Rabbit. So why not join in the celebrations with some delicious Chinese dishes? Read on to discover a selection of southern regional training manager Jo’s favourite recipes.
If you’re a fan of fried rice, you’re sure to love this extra-special version from delicious. magazine. It uses ‘lap cheong’, Chinese wind-dried pork sausages that are available from most Asian supermarkets. These incorporate a moreish sweet-salty-smoky flavour and are a gorgeous reddish-pink colour. Eaten alone or as part of tasty rice and noodle dishes, Lap Cheong are perfect for all sorts of Chinese New Year 2023 recipes.
For best results, steam the sausages separately. Our Sense SO111 Built In Combi Steam Oven would be perfect for this. The Steam function helps to lock in even more moisture and flavour, and it’s so easy to use! Simply place the sausage on the perforated tray and steam for 15 minutes.
I would also recommend our new C4071G Low Profile Gas Hob for this recipe’s stir-fry element. It features a powerful 4W triple-ring burner that’s ideal for this sort of speedy, high-temperature cooking. Because it’s low profile, this hob sits flush with the level of your worktop for a chic, minimalist appearance.
Top tip: Stir-frying is a fast and furious cooking method, so it’s vital to be organised. Make sure you do all your chopping in advance, and all your ingredients are to hand before you turn on your hob.
If you’re looking for a Chinese New Year 2023 recipe that’s great for entertaining but easy to make, try BBC Good Food’s crisp Chinese pork belly. It looks seriously impressive, tastes absolutely mouth-watering, and all you have to do is rub and roast!
This recipe is all about the perfect crispy skin, which is super easy to achieve using the Roast function on our C2600SS Sense Premium Smart Pyrolytic Single Oven. This clever self-cleaning cooking appliance does all the hard work for you. Simply set the temperature to 180°C. This oven will go straight to 250°C to seal your joint – then drops automatically to the set temperature when the meat is seared.
Top tip: If possible, plan ahead. Your pork will need to marinade in the fridge for at least two hours, but overnight is preferable.
You will need to make – and knead – the dough, but I promise, it’s all much easier than you might think. And the actual steaming is a breeze with our new CMS260BS Black Steel Sense Premium Smart Combi Microwave & Steam Oven. This model features 15 functions, including Steam, Microwave + Steam, Fan heat + Steam and Steam+, for fast, yet flavoursome, cooking.
Top tip: This microwave is also Wi-Fi enabled, so for extra ease and convenience you can control its settings using our dedicated CapleHome app, via your smartphone or tablet.
For Chinese New Year 2023 celebrations, I would recommend filling your bao buns with BBQ pork and pickled vegetables. This classic combination is always a crowd-pleaser. My favourite recipe for Char siu (Chinese BBQ pork) will make enough for 18 bao buns. You simply marinade rindless pork belly in a sticky hoisin sauce, then roast until tender.
Cooking low and slow is the key to success here, so our Classic C2234BK Electric Single Oven would be ideal. Offering excellent value for money – perfect if you’re watching the pennies – this model incorporates a clever Motion Heat+ function which distributes hot air evenly around the oven cavity. It also reaches the required temperature rapidly, often with no need to preheat, saving you time and money.
Top tip: I like to complement the rich pork filling with pickled carrot and mooli, thinly sliced spring onion, and some zingy wasabi mayonnaise.
Another great option for Chinese New Year 2023 entertaining is this Chinese-style sticky chicken recipe. Served with steamed rice and vegetables, it makes a hearty, but healthy, dinner the whole family are sure to love. It’s speedy too – cooking time is just 15-20 minutes (or until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through).
If you like a crispy finish, why not use our Airfry tray accessory? Suitable for use with any of our ovens, this mesh tray allows hot air to circulate food, to create a crispy, crunchy exterior. It’s also a convenient and healthier alternative to frying.
Top tip: Use a resealable food bag to coat your chicken thighs evenly and thoroughly with the marinade – it’s much more effective than simply stirring everything together in a bowl.
If you’re looking for a meat-free dish to serve for Chinese New Year 2023, how about these wok-fried fragrant scallops? I think these pan-fried morsels, dressed in sesame, soy and chilli, make a really elegant starter. For this recipe, the scallops are fried on the hob, which can result in lingering odours. So, an effective extractor is really important to help eliminate these.
Our COR540SL Silver Ceiling Hood combines high-performance extraction with a stylish, eye-catching circular design. It offers four speeds, a stainless steel grease filter, and a practical dimmable LED light to illuminate your hob.
Top tip: Serve the scallops in their shells for that extra wow-factor.
Chinese New Year 2023 celebrations would not be complete without some fortune cookies. And, if you make your own, you can personalise the messages inside. The ingredients for this recipe are mostly store cupboard staples, and the folding really isn’t that complicated once you get the hang of it. You will need to chill your mixture before you bake it though.
Our RiL892 In-Column Larder Fridge would be perfect for this. With removable glass shelves and a reversible door, it offers plenty of versatile storage.
Top tip: Make sure you leave enough space between your cookies on your baking sheet, as they will spread in the oven. You’ll also need to shape them while they’re still hot.
Happy cooking and ‘Gong Xi Fa Cai’! If you’re keen to add some Japanese recipes to your Asian cooking repertoire, click here for more of Jo’s favourite dishes.
