Mushroom Nian Gao (香菇年糕)

Gong xi fa cai, everyone! I've already written some recipes for the Jewish New Year (see my Rosh Hashanah cocktail), so it's about time I tackle Chinese New Year, a day full of food traditions. Nian gao, or "year cake," is a popular Chinese New Year treat all over China. There are many regional versions, ranging from sweet to savory, but all made from sticky rice flour. The Shanghai style, which we call "tongue depressors" for their shape, are our family tradition. I first made this meatless version for our combined New Year/birthday celebration a year ago. Any meat could easily be added if you want to go that route. 

I've written about Shanghai nian gao twice before, and the differences highlight the evolution of my Chinese cooking. The original 2012 version was very simple, as much of my bachelor cooking was. Back then, I parboiled the rice cakes, which I now know to be unnecessary. By the 2015 version, I was experimenting with Koon Chun bean sauce and napa cabbage. I had recently discovered the method of salting and squeezing the napa to get the excess water out. I've since moved on from bean sauce as the base of a sauce (I still use it for the char siu marinade) and am now doing a classically Chinese combination of ginger, scallions, and soy sauce, lengthened with the mushroom water and thickened with corn starch. 

This recipe uses mushroom-flavored dark soy sauce (Pearl River Bridge brand). Although available at most Chinese stores, it's somewhat niche. If unavailable, regular dark soy sauce would work just fine. Comparing the photos here to my previous versions, you can see the effect of the dark soy sauce in coloring the rice cakes. We rounded out the meal with spring rolls out of the freezer. These fry excellently right from frozen with no problem. I did subsequently make some spring rolls using the 45-degree angle fold, and can report they fry much more evenly. 

Ingredients

• 1 lb. dried rice cakes
• 3 oz. (about 20) dried black mushrooms
• 1 lb. napa cabbage
• 4 scallions
• 2 tsp. minced ginger
• 2 Tbs. Shaoxing wine
• 2 Tbs. light soy sauce
• 1 Tbs. mushroom-flavored dark soy sauce
• 1 Tbs. corn starch
• Vegetable oil
• Salt and white pepper to taste

Instructions

Place rice cakes in a large bowl and cover with water. Let stand overnight. Change the water the next morning and continue soaking until ready to cook. Place mushrooms in another bowl and fill with warm water. Cover with a paper towel and weigh down (I used a Chef's Press) to keep submerged. Roughly chop the napa. Place in another bowl, salt generously, and toss to coat. Chop scallions and divide into white and green parts.

When the mushrooms are softened, squeeze water out, remove stems, and dice. Reserve the 2/3 cup of the mushroom soaking water for the sauce and freeze the rest for another use. Working in batches, wrap up napa in a kitchen towel and squeeze out water. Chop again into smaller pieces. Drain the rice cakes.

Heat some oil in a wok over high heat. Stir fry the mushrooms for a few minutes, until lightly browned. Lightly salt the mushrooms as they cook. Set aside, add oil as needed, and stir fry the napa a few minutes, until lightly browned. Set aside.

Add more oil, the ginger, and the white parts of the scallions. Stir fry a few seconds, then add the rice cakes. Stir fry until soft, tossing frequently to avoid sticking. 

Splash the wine and both types of soy sauce around the edge of the pan. Toss to combine. Add the reserved mushroom water. Stir a little water into the corn starch to form a slurry and add to the pan. Stir together and toss to coat. Return the mushrooms and napa and toss to combine. Add the green parts of the scallions and season to taste with salt and white pepper.