Yield: 4 servings

Over the past two decades, salads have come into vogue in Chinese cuisine. One of the most common is a refreshing, monochromatic mix of scallions, green peppers, and cilantro — all anointed in a sharp, fragrant dressing.

Refreshingly green and full of crunch, the raw veggies are julienned into fine strips, an allusion to the elegant stripes of the tiger. Hence its name, lao hu (tiger) cai (vegetable or salad). There’s even a surprising bite, courtesy of the craftily camouflaged hot chilis. (Any kind of hot chili pepper with a kick works well, from Anaheim to jalapeño.)

The ingredients join together to jolt the senses before a hearty meal. Feel free to go nontraditional and add cucumbers, celery, or any other sturdy greens you prefer or have on hand.

Ingredients

• 3 scallions
• 2 green peppers
• 2 green chili peppers
• 1 large bunch fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• dash of pepper
• 2 teaspoons sesame seeds

Instructions

1. Slice the scallions and green peppers into thin strips about 2 inches long.
2. Gently tear leaves of cilantro, then chop stems into smaller 1-inch pieces.
3. Slice chili pepper in half, deseed, then finely julienne into thin strips.
4. Combine all chopped vegetables in a medium bowl.
5. In a separate bowl, whisk together rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, and sugar. Season with pepper to taste.
6. Pour dressing over salad, and toss to coat.
7. Toast sesame seeds by dry roasting in a skillet for about 45 seconds until golden. Sprinkle over salad, and serve immediately before the leaves wilt.

Yield: 4 servings

Just as fashionable tapistas in Madrid chomp on blistered Padrón peppers, so do diners in Chongqing on a glistening plate of tiger skin peppers. The concepts are nearly identical: hot peppers seared in oil until the flesh tenderizes and the skin chars.

The main difference with this Hunan and Sichuan incarnation is how it’s doused in a syrupy, garlicky sauce of concentrated black vinegar. The name is inspired by the splotches of blackened skin that seemingly resemble the black stripes on a tiger’s coat.

Wearing gloves or using a spoon helps when deseeding because handling the chili peppers can be torture on the skin. If you don’t have black vinegar on hand, use rice vinegar with a teaspoon of soy sauce as a reasonable substitute.

Ingredients

• 1 pound green chili peppers
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoons black vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil for frying
• sea salt to serve

Instructions

1. Slice off the tops of chili peppers, and remove seeds, leaving peppers whole.
2. In a wok (or a cast-iron skillet or frying pan will work too), heat oil until smoking. Add peppers in a single layer.
3. Fry for two minutes, then start tossing peppers.
4. Fry for about a minute on each side, turning whenever the skin begins to burn.
5. Remove onto a plate.
6. Add garlic into a wok, and sauté until golden, about 30 seconds.
7. Add vinegar and sugar, stirring for a minute until sauce thickens.
8. Add chili peppers into sauce and stir-fry for a few seconds until coated.
9. Transfer to serving plate; sprinkle with sea salt and serve.

Yield: 4 servings

Head to any Chinese feast — birthday, wedding, just-because-it’s-Sunday — and you’re guaranteed some sort of shellfish, which is culturally representative of largesse and hospitality. The Lunar New Year is no different.

Instead of resorting to a labor-intensive and wrinkle-inducing dish, opt for this obvious crowd-pleaser. With their jumbo striped bodies for maximum flavor and visual appeal, tiger shrimps are a celebratory showstopper.

​​In America, tiger shrimps are commonly found Marie Antoinette style, sans heads. Try to get your hands on whole ones. The liquid inside the shrimp heads (technically the digestive organ) is an explosion of umami.

Ingredients

• 1 pound tiger shrimps, shells on
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• ½ teaspoon black pepper powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• vegetable oil for frying

Instructions

1. Prepare shrimp, using kitchen scissors to devein the intestinal tract that runs along the backs. (This also cuts through the shell, allowing seasoning inside.)
2. Wash and pat dry.
3. In a bowl, mix together cornstarch with black pepper and garlic powder.
4. Add shrimp, coating shells with seasoned flour.
5. Heat oil until smoking, then individually add half the number of shrimps.
6. Deep-fry for about 2 to 3 minutes, turning frequently, until crispy and golden.
7. Remove from oil and dry on a paper towel; repeat with the other half of batch.
8. Serve with a sauce like Thai sweet chili sauce, sriracha mayo, or gojuchang with honey.