Year of the Monkey

We haven't done anything for Chinese New Year this year. Paul reckons not to like Chinese food very much and couldn't be persuaded to go out for it. But I kept seeing people talking about delectable Chinese meals, so I made dinner at home, from dishes that I knew he'd find acceptable.

Crabmeat & sweetcorn soup to begin. It's always Paul's starter of choice, but not all Chinese restaurants do it.  We actually had it at about 5pm, to fortify us to wait for our main course. Not exactly fancy or refined - a can of creamed corn, that can filled with water, a stock cube, a couple of sliced spring onions and some grated ginger, simmered together for 5 minutes, then a tub of pasteurised white crab meat, some light soy sauce, a teaspoon of cornflour slaked in Shaoxing rice wine, simmered another couple of minutes until pleasingly gloopy, and a beaten egg stirred in. Seasoned with white pepper.

Then red braised pork belly, fried rice, and bok choy with oyster sauce and a lot of garlic.