Yu sheng
Singaporean New Year salad
Serves 4
Developed by Heather Teoh, a native of Singapore with the nonprofit California Food Literacy Center, this traditional new year's dish can be made primarily with locally grown produce. Many of the ingredients are symbolic, including pomelo (luck), noodles (long life) and pepper (money).
SALAD
3 ounces buckwheat soba noodles
1/3 cup chopped roasted salted peanuts
4 teaspoons black sesame seeds
4 dashes five-spice powder
1 pomelo, cut into sections
3 1/2 ounces enoki or shiitake mushrooms, trimmed
1 cup shredded carrot
1 cup shredded cucumber (skin on)
1 cup shredded daikon radish
4 ounces sushi-grade raw salmon
2 tangerines, cut into sections
2 tablespoons shredded pickled red ginger
1/4 cup sesame or won ton crackers
DRESSING
1 pomelo, juiced
1 teaspoon honey
3 teaspoons rice vinegar
1/4 cup sesame oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
To make the salad: Cook the noodles as directed on the package, then rinse them with cold water and refrigerate.
Using four red new year envelopes (lai see or hóngbão), divide the sesame seeds, peanuts and five-spice powder among them.
Arrange the pomelo, mushrooms, carrot, cucumber, radish, tangerines, ginger and crackers in piles around the edge of a large platter. Arrange the soba noodles in the center and top them with the fish.
To make the dressing: Whisk together the juice, honey and vinegar. Whisk in the oil and season with salt and pepper.
Before tossing the salad, pour the dressing over all the ingredients. Give each person an envelope to sprinkle on top. Using chopsticks, toss the ingredients as high as possible, saying "Lo hei" (which means "tossing luck") while mixing the salad. Serve.
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