Red Ong Pastry
Cover Red Ong Pastry

From braised sea cucumber to stuffed crab claws to delectable dessert, renowned chefs share Chinese New Year recipes that will bring happiness and prosperity to the Year of the Rabbit

Chinese New Year is all about gathering with family. And that usually happens around a table brimming with traditional delicacies, family favourites and dishes symbolic of wishes for the year ahead.

As the Year of the Rabbit dawns, chefs from across Asia share dishes that mean something to them at this time of year, and reveal how you can bring them to the table wherever you are and for whoever you are able to share in the festivities with this year.

From a delicious sea cucumber dish courtesy of a Cantonese chef at a one Michelin star restaurant in Hong Kong to a dessert designed to impress as much on the plate as it will on the palate and created by none other than Malaysian pastry chef and winner of the World Pastry Cup in 2019, Otto Tay, you'll be sure to dazzle and delight with these delectable dishes this Chinese New Year.

1. Braised Pork Belly with Chestnut, Chinese Mushroom and Homemade Brown Sauce

Tatler Asia
Braised Pork Belly with Chestnut, Chinese Mushroom and Homemade Brown Sauce
Above Braised Pork Belly with Chestnut, Chinese Mushroom and Homemade Brown Sauce

Pork belly is a popular choice for a special occasion, but this particular version is also steeped in tradition. The recipe was handed down to Soong Kin Wah, head chef of Cherry Garden at Mandarin Oriental, Singapore by his grandmother, via his mother who taught him exactly how to make it. Staying true to the techniques and ingredients that have made this fragrant dish stand out in the chef’s culinary memories since childhood, it’s one that you can now recreate yourself at home.

Recipe: Soong Kin Wah’s Braised Pork Belly With Chestnut, Chinese Mushroom and Homemade Brown Sauce

 

2. Stuffed Crab Claws and Shrimp Paste in Curry Sauce with Fried Long Buns

Tatler Asia
Stuffed Crab Claws and Shrimp Paste in Curry Sauce with Fried Long Buns
Above Stuffed Crab Claws and Shrimp Paste in Curry Sauce with Fried Long Buns (Photo: Shangri-la The Fort)

A traditional crab curry is given a contemporary twist by chef Wang Wei Qing of Canton Road at Shangri-La The Fort, Manila, who shares a recipe that embraces crab claws. As the crustacean—here stuffed with shrimp paste—cooks, its shell turns bright red, a colour representative of the abundance or prosperity that everyone is keen to welcome into their homes during the holidays. So why not welcome this flavourful dish onto your table this Lunar New Year?

Recipe: Wang Wei Qing’s Stuffed Crab Claws and Shrimp Paste in Curry Sauce with Fried Long Buns

3. Braised Sea Cucumber with Minced Shrimps and Egg White Sauce

Tatler Asia
Braised Sea Cucumber with Minced Shrimps and Egg White Sauce
Above Braised Sea Cucumber with Minced Shrimps and Egg White Sauce (Photo: Eaton HK)

The Lunar New Year is a time of celebration—and that often means expensive ingredients make their way onto our menus. But with recipes like this straight-forward yet striking braised sea cucumber from chef Tam Tung of one Michelin-starred Yat Tung Heen in Hong Kong, you can make the most of such delicacies. The dish includes shrimp, too, an apt addition to a festive menu as the Cantonese for shrimp sounds like ‘smile’.

Recipe: Tam Tung's Braised Sea Cucumber with Minced Shrimps and Egg White Sauce

4. Red Ong Pastry

Tatler Asia
Red Ong Pastry
Above Red Ong Pastry

Malaysian pastry chef Otto Tay has plenty of Chinese New Year traditions, but cooking is rarely among them. Luckily for us, he’s shared a recipe for his festive red Ong (旺) pastry, a dessert that might be a bit of a challenge to achieve, but is bound to impress when you do. Made up of several elements: a pistachio sponge, raspberry lychee gelée, lychee cream and almond croustillant come together in a cake that is sprayed with red chocolate icing to bring good luck and prosperity to any celebration.

Recipe: Otto Tay's Ong Pastry 

 

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