There will be no dragon dance, no street parties, no parade or any other similar activity to mark this year's Chinese New Year. Even Binondo's Chinatown district has cancelled festivities ushering in the Year of the Metal Ox due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Given the current situation, the next best thing is to celebrate the Lunar New Year safely at home with your family over a steaming hot casserole of authentic Poon Choi, along with the usual pancit, dumplings, and tikoy.
Poon Choi, which literally translates as “casserole in a basin,” is an auspicious dish found at the table of many Hong Kong-ers during Chinese New Year. The magnificent dish brings together some 10 to 20 ingredients served in a large claypot.
Traditionally, Poon Choi is an important element of the Walled Village culture in New Territories, Hong Kong, served whenever there were auspicious celebrations.
Poon Choi has existed in Hong Kong for more than 7 centuries, but it is now no longer confined within the bricks of the walled village. Thanks to immigration and the proliferation of media, the popularity of the dish has spread far and wide, especially in South East Asia where many Cantonese immigrants reside, and in particular in the Philippines with its large Filipino-Chinese community.
Poon Choi is highly modifiable: The ingredients are not set in stone unless your heart is set on making a traditional version. Even a vegetarian rendition is possible.
Ingredients:
10 Small/Medium Braised Abalone
10 Dried Oysters
10 Medium/Large Dried scallops
10 Prawns
10 Chinese Mushroom
20 pieces of Roast Pork
1/2 Roast Chicken
½ Chinese Cabbage (cut into small sizes)
½ Radish (cut into small slices)
1 Carrot (cut into small slices)
½ Broccoli (cut into small sizes)
1 small bundle of black moss vegetable
Chicken/vegetable broth
3 tablespoon of Oyster Sauce
Some garlic and Ginger
Method:
Have a pot of water, blanch the prawns until cooked. Clean the dried oysters, scallops and soak the shitake mushrooms. Steam these 3 ingredients for about 15 minutes until the oysters are soft.
Steam all the vegetables (Cabbage, Broccoli, Radish, and Carrots) for 10 minutes.
In your selected claypot, put a few tablespoons of cooking oil, sauté the ginger and garlic until fragrant. Off the heat and add about one bowl of chicken/vegetable broth. Add the oyster sauce and stir until well combined.
Start the layering as follows:
First layer – Radish
Second layer – Carrots
Third layer – Cabbage, Dried Oyster, Black Moss Vegetable
Fourth layer – Roast chicken, Roast pork, Mushrooms, Broccoli, Prawns
Fifth layer and top layer – Abalone and Dried scallops
Add the remaining broth, but do not submerge the ingredients. Bring to boil under medium heat for at least 20 minutes.