I write this from the comfort of my sofa, still nursing a full belly from the last couple of days of (over)eating. My eyes always seem to be bigger than my stomach when it comes to Chinese/Lunar New Year celebrations. I find it hard to resist just ‘one more piece’ of silky steamed fish, or ‘one last bite’ of aromatic roast duck.
Sadly this year we weren’t able to attend the New Year’s Eve reunion dinner at home in New Zealand. As per usual, Mum and Dad went a little overboard. Check out the extraordinary spread below, and note that the photo doesn’t even show the desserts(!).
The New Year’s Eve dinner kicks off the 15-day Spring Festival, which ends with the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the Lunar calendar. After the first few days of (almost competitive!) eating, I still want to celebrate the Spring Festival with Chinese food, but I become somewhat… lazier. I feel like I need a break from patiently jabbing pork belly with a multi-spiked stabby tool in order to get the perfect crackling on my roast pork. I find it harder to muster the energy to go to the fishmonger and find the perfect, whole fish to steam with ginger and spring onions. And even though they’re supposed to be one of the luckiest foods to eat during the Festival, and also our namesake(!), there’s only so many dumplings a Dumpling Sister can pleat!
That’s why I decided to make no-pleat dumplings for lunch today. You might have already tried our signature recipe for full-on, made-from-scratch potsticker dumplings, or perhaps you’ve had a go making our simplified recipe for spicy potstickers . But if you’re feeling *really* lazy like I am, yet also hungry, then you need to try these no-pleat chicken dumplings. I made a whole stack of ’em in a jiffy – and they still managed to hit that spot that only a dumpling can fill. Paired with a sharp vinegary dressing, I think that these little morsels are the perfect post-NY treat. Moral of the story? Less pleating… more eating! Happy New Year!
