LuNaR nEw YeAr wHoLe FiSh

The Lunar New Year is more special to me than the traditional Gregorian calendar New Year. I especially love some of the Chinese traditions observed during this time, particularly, the tradition of cleaning your house and paying your bills. Out-with-the-old, in-with-the-new! Such a responsible habit to get into and a nice way to start off the New Year. It’s sooo nice to begin with a clean slate in your life on multiple levels. Another tradition I adore, is the cooking of certain foods for good luck. We can all use a little bit of extra luck, and I’m happy to oblige since one of those ‘lucky’ foods involves preparing a whole fish. I typically serve this with a hearty noodle such as udon, ramen or soba. This year I bought some organic green tea noodles to go with our celebratory dinner, and I will serve them along side steamed dumplings (cha siu bao), or manapua, as we like to call them in Hawaii.
I have chosen a popular Mediterranean method of preparing the fish since this is hands-down the moistest whole fish I’ve ever had. It also makes an impressive presentation when you crack the salt crust to get to the flesh of the fish. My fish of choice for this recipe is tilapia because it is mild and can be purchased almost anywhere. If you are unable to get tilapia, you can substitute a firm fish, such as red snapper, sea bass, or even salmon in it’s place. This recipe is easy to do and oh-so tasty. Enjoy!
A whole talapia shown with Calamansi limes.Lunar New Year Whole Fish
Ingredients
Directions