Chinese New Year dinner

Celebrated Chinese New Year with M's sister C's family in Sydney.

C prepared a scrumptuous yee sang, a salad of raw fish, thinly cut vegetables and crispy wonton with a sweet and sour dressing. It's believed to be a Chinese Malaysian/Singaporean traditional Chinese New Year dish, and it symbolizes togetherness when everyone at the table joins in the fun of tossing the salad.

A duck, a symbol of fidelity, was served in many ways: peking duck pancakes, fried rice and in soup! Too busy eating, hence no pictures of the other dishes. For pancake recipe, see below.

And last but not the least, a whole steamed (barramundi)fish. This is apparently a symbol of prosperity, for the chinese word for fish "yu" sounds like the word for richness or abundance. It's also believed to make your wishes come true for this year.

Gong Xi Fa Cai!

Pancake Recipe:

1/2 cup plain flour
2 tablespoons cornflour
1 cup water
1 egg
2 tablespoons oil
1 Peking duck (see note)
6 green onions, washed
1/2 cup hoisin sauce

Method:
Combine and whisk flour, cornflour, water, egg and oil.
Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Brush with little oil. Pour batter into frying pan and quickly swirl pan to spread the thin pancake to about 15cm. Cook for 2 minutes. Turn and cook for a further 1 minute.

How to enjoy:
Remove skin and meat from duck. Thinly slice both skin and meat. Cut onions and cucumber into 10cm lengths.
Place some duck skin and meat, 1 onion and cucumber and 1 teaspoon of hoisin sauce onto each pancake. Roll up. Serve.

Adapted from Taste.com.au