Long Life Chow Mein

Serves 2-4

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tsp. cornstarch

• 1/2 cup water

• 12 raw shrimp, thawed & unpeeled

• 1 tsp. soy sauce

• 1 tsp. sherry

• 1 tbsp. cornstarch

• 2 tbsp. peanut oil

• 1/2 cup sweet onion, sliced thinly into half moons

• 1 tsp. ginger, minced

• 1 tsp. garlic, minced

• 1/2 cup red pepper, thinly sliced

• 3 cups bean sprouts

• 6 green onions, white and light green only cut into 2-inch pieces (save green ends to garnish)

SAUCE:

• 1/4 cup oyster sauce

• 1/8 tsp. white pepper

• 1 tsp. sugar

• 1/8 cup Shaoxing Chinese cooking wine (or Sherry to substitute)

• 2 tbsp. soy sauce

• 1 cup chicken broth, divided

• 1 tbsp. sesame oil

• 2 tbsp. green ends of green onions, chopped to garnish

• Thin dried Chinese egg noodles (cooked as per package instructions – with the Rooster brand, we used three bundles)

Step 1: Make a slurry of the cornstarch and water set aside. Add one tsp. soy sauce, one tsp. sherry and one tbsp. cornstarch to raw shrimp and toss together and set aside. Bring a large pot of water to the boil and let sit beside wok.

Step 2: Heat wok on high until smoking. Add oil, then onions and stir fry for a few seconds, then add green onions, ginger, garlic, carrots and zucchini, 1/2 cup chicken stock continuing to stir fry continuously for two to three minutes.

Step 3: Add shrimp, red pepper and stir fry two minutes until shrimp begins curling. Add sauce and bean sprouts. Stir fry to blend. Add slurry and simmer for a couple of seconds to thicken and remove from heat.

Step 4: Before vegetable/shrimp stir frying is done, add the noodles and cook three minutes.

Step 5: Drain noodles and transfer to wok. Toss with shrimp and veggies and finish with drizzling the sesame oil, then top with green onions.

China is a big fan of our Canadian icewine. To finish your Chinese New Year feast, why not crack open that special bottle of icewine that you have been saving? Many of our B.C. wineries produce their own icewine. In Canada, unlike other world wine regions, we have the perfect winter conditions to produce this special wine. Icewine production has very strict rules of creation before it can be called icewine. Firstly, the grapes must be picked at -8 C or more and the grapes also must be crushed while they are still frozen. -8 C? No problem for us British Columbians!

Bench 1775 in Naramata offers one of our most dramatic views of Okanagan Lake and the rocky storied Naramata Bench. Here they also make award winning icewine under the Whistler label and not just one varietal! The Whistler Icewine label makes red and white versions of this sweet treat with 10 labels to choose from. Cheers – and all the best for a wonderful year of the Rabbit!