The year of the dragon is off to a great start!

What a memorable meal we had on Saturday night! Our Dinner Club finally got together after having the month of December off for other holiday commitments and it sure seems like everyone was more than ready to get back! 

First off, our hostess went all-out on the decorating for our evening. Most of our Dinner Club’s are themed meals, but not all of them require “decorating”. Usually some thoughtful attention to the table setting is all that is required, but for this, a Chinese New Year celebration (2012 is the year of the dragon), some over-the-top color and flair was required for evoking the right festive mood. 

Mission accomplished. There were brightly colored paper lanterns, bamboo place mats, chopsticks and my favorite touch…each person’s place card with their name in Chinese! It really was perfect for a festive celebration of friends and good food. 

Hot and Sour Soup

For food, we began by mingling and having cocktails alongside our appetizer, the Jiaozi (Chinese pork dumplings). The friend who prepared them took the time and care on her dough for the dumpling and sealed each one just perfectly. They sliced open to a steaming and savory pork filling with just the right tang of flavor. A drizzle of sesame oil and soy sauce over the top made them just right. 

After a bowl of steaming and tangy hot and sour soup, we were presented with a gorgeous plated entrée that included our featured item for the night, a hazelnut-crusted duck breast with sundried cherry sauce. (More on this, my “best dish of the night”, next week, including the recipe for you to try out!) 

Alongside the duck were two sides that perfectly complemented the entrée. We had a stir fry noodle with a delicate seasoning and sautéed green beans featuring ginger, shallot and garlic. Both were well prepared and seasoned just right to complement, rather than overpower, our entrée. The green beans were bright green and perfectly crisp-cooked! 

Warm Egg Custard Tart with
Mandarin Orange Syrup

For dessert (my portion of the evening’s meal) we had warm egg custard tarts. Although we haven’t much adored Asian desserts in the past, this one was a definite winner and it exceeded my expectations in every way. I’m not much of a “custard person” in general and I was concerned that although this is a traditional Hong Kong specialty, it would feel boring and underwhelming. 

It was not! I added a drizzle of Mandarin orange syrup to the top of each tart which I felt brightened the flavor without overpowering. I also decorated the plate with chocolate syrup drizzle in the form of the Chinese symbol for “dragon”. The presentation upped the ante – remember, you eat first with your eyes – and all of the flavors (each in limited quantity) complemented one another and the dish. See below for links to the tart and orange syrup recipes and give it a try. This dessert would NOT have to be with an Asian meal. It would be a delicious finale to anything you prepare; plus it can be made ahead. 

I made a few adjustments to how I prepared both of the recipes as printed. I’ve put the links below to the original recipes. For the tarts, I simply skipped the pastry recipe that was printed with it. I tried it a couple of times and found it to be too heavy and greasy for me. Your own homemade pie crust recipe or a store bought crust will work just fine. For the orange sauce, I followed the recipe other than instead of incorporating the whole pieces of orange at the end, I pureed them in my food processor and simmered them with the other ingredients. After simmering, I strained out all of the pulp before refrigerating to make a smooth, orange syrup. 

This weekend offered a delicious meal and it was fantastic to reconnect with friends in this way. The continuity of meeting for our Dinner Club returns finally and we’re all looking forward already to next months unusual and offbeat theme! Keep reading and I’ll share, of course! 

Warm Golden Custard Tarts

From the February/March 2004 issue of Cooking Pleasures magazine, an official publication of the Cooking Club of America; http://www.cookingclub.com/Recipes/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/5503/categoryId/4018/Warm-Golden-Custard-Tarts

Mandarin Orange Sauce

http://homecooking.about.com/od/dessertrecipes/r/blsauce37.htm