Chinese New Year feasting

Press, 8 February 1986, Page 14

Chinese New Year feasting

We love eating oriental food, but we never seriously tried to cook it until we met Thao. He was no chef in a deluxe restaurant, but a penniless refugee who arrived on our doorstep in Belgium some years ago. A Vietnamese, he was one of the thousands of boat people fleeing a homeland they no longer felt they could live in. He and a fellow refugee, Bon, had been sponsored by a group of concerned. Belgians, and lived in our house for a couple of years while they got settled in a new country. found jobs, and learned the language. Both had been soldiers,

were captured by the

Vietcong, and had spent several years in remote prison camps. Both had lost touch with their wives and children: they did not know if they were alive or dead. Thao’s two children would have been the same age as ours, and a ready friendship grew between them. Thao soon became like a favourite uncle.

Unable to work as an engineer because his qualifications were not recognised in Belgium, Thao spent his days as a hospital porter and his evenings learning French and studying for his engineering diploma. Every night when he came in from work, the most wonderful smells would waft up from Thao and Bon’s basement flat. Thao was a remarkable cook. '

He scoured the city to find authentic ingredients, and when Chinese New Year arrived, he; organised a party for all his new friends. v He made the most delicious, tiny spring rolls, marinated pork, arid butterfly prawns cooked in crisp batter. But the piece de resistance was Peking duck, laquered mahogany brown and deliciously aromatic. Everything was washed down with steaming pots of jasmin tea.

After, that, Thao taught us how to cook several

standard /Vietnamese,: dishes. The spring rolls, depend on getting sheets ’ of special rice paper, but I these are available In ’ Christchurch from Simco. • The quantities can be varied to taste. Thao’s spring ? rolls ' 7 Chinese vermicelli j 500 g mince (veal and • .pork) -• ; 120 g prawns 1 onion, chopped finely 2 egg yolks ; • S»er . -■ ,■ i and sugar if you like < 1 carrot, grated ; i V monosodium glutamate ‘ rice paper 1 Soak Chinese vermicelli in a cereal bowl full of water until soft, f . Mix together other in-;* gradients, except rice? paper. * Dip each sheet of rice , paper in a bowl of water,; then place on a cloth to drain. Turn, and drain s other side. They should be soaked, but without ■■ surface water. , Place a spoonful of stuffing on each sheets and roll into parcels. < •» Deep fry and drain well before serving. ; * When we last heard from him, Thao had passed his exams with flying colours, and had saved up enough'money to visit a cousin in Aus- , tralia. , : •