February 2006
Shida
by Celia Cheng
STEAMED WHITE SNAPPER
ginger, scallion, sesame oil, soy sauce and ginko nuts
For Chinese New Year, you must have fish. Phonetically, the word for fish sounds the same as the word “excess.” So in order to have excess this year, as in to be prosperous, you must have fish. Steamed fish usually comes whole, but Shida makes a variation using fillets. He still cooks it the traditional way with ginger scallion and soy sauce and adds a touch of ginko nuts. Each of the fillets was placed in a small seashell dish. The fillets didn’t lose any of the taste that the whole fish would have retained, and the circular theme of the plates stayed in sync with tradition — circles are another big theme during Chinese New Year as they signify reunions. We want to make sure that we always return to share joyous meals and occasions with our loved ones.
