Gong xi fa cai! I don’t often get to host Chinese New Year lunches because we usually spend it at my uncle’s house. Having lived in Shanghai for a number of years, he’s got the whole Chinese New Year festivities down pat. But he was away this year celebrating at Daylesford, a spa town about 1.5 hours drive from Melbourne. I invited some friends over and cooked a variety of dishes to share including, of course, the Yee Sang salad. Did you know that every ingredient has a special meaning? I hope you enjoy this recipe just as much as I have and may the new year bring you prosperity, health, peace, happiness and love.
Serves 8 (as part of several dishes, usually isn’t a main on its own)
Prep time 30 mins
Ingredients
For the salad:
1 daikon radish, shredded (‘progress’)
1 jicama, shredded (‘promotion’)
2 small/medium cucumbers, shredded (‘youth’)
4 small carrots, shredded (‘good luck’)
1/2 pomelo, make sure you take the bitter membranes out (‘status’)
2 tbsp pickled ginger, sliced (‘good fortune’)
300g salmon sashimi, sliced (‘abundance’)
25g crispy fried noodles (‘gold’)
1/4 cup coriander, chopped (‘compassion’)
2 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted (‘good business’)
1 tsp Chinese five spice powder to sprinkle on top (‘fulfilled wishes’)
1 tsp sesame oil (‘year-round riches’)
For the dressing:
1/4 cup hoisin sauce (‘happiness’)
1/4 cup plum/apricot conserve (‘treasures’)
1 tbsp water (‘longevity’)
1 squeeze of lime (‘safety’)
It’s really as simple as laying out all the salad ingredients separately in a wholesome display of colour. If you are preparing this in advance, you may want to keep the ‘crunchy’ ingredients like the crispy fried noodles and sesame seeds in a separate bowl to add on just before tossing. Don’t forget to add the dressing before you begin the communal tossing – the higher and messier, the better!