happy chinese new year! gong hey fat choi!

we wish you happiness and prosperity!

my sister-in-law, linny, holding a platter of orange peel shrimp

it’s the year of the rooster and today is chinese new year’s eve. people of chinese decent all over the world will get together with family and friends and celebrate with a feast that will include many dishes often including a steamed whole fish. serving a whole fish represents abundance for the new year. many of our chinese customers will be looking for the perfect fish for steaming this weekend. lean, sweet firm fish like walleye, bronzini, flounder and snapper are all favorites.

whole redfish, yellowtail flounder, john dory, spanish mackerel and atlantic mackerel will also grace our cases today and through the weekend. we just opened a box with some more special gifts: whole spanish dover sole, live maine sea urchin and banded whelks are in the house!

you don’t have to be chinese to have a party or just to enjoy a delicious, healthful whole steamed fish! here’s our recipe, a must for the feast.

another of my favorite chinese style dishes is orange peel shrimp. our version is not quite as sweet as most american chinese restaurants serve.

the shrimp aren’t heavily battered and the sauce is more sweet, sour and spicy which is perfect with the firm, sweet, wild gulf shrimp.

enjoy!