Special dishes for the Chinese New Year

Cooking with Lee Kok Hua, Executive Chef, Hakkasan Abu Dhabi

Yu Sheng Salad
Serves 2
Ingredients:
100gm salmon fillet
50gm moly, shredded
50gm carrot, shredded
10gm peanuts
10gm white sesame
2gm lime leaves, shredded
15gm preserved melon, julienned
15gm preserved cucumber peach
10gm white sour ginger
10gm presweetened ginger, julienned
10gm preserved leek, julienned
10gm pre-cucumber julienned
30gm crispy crackers
For plum sauce
100ml plum sauce
5ml soy sauce light
10ml rice vinegar
5ml sesame oil
10ml shallot oil
20ml water
For the marinade
28gm sugar
57gm sea salt
5gm black pepper, cracked
1gm bay leaves, chopped
3.5gm fresh dill
2.5gm paprika powder
6gm anise seed, cracked

Method:
Combine the marinade ingredients. Place salmon fillet, skin down and spread the marinade to cover the salmon. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate for about 30 hours. After 16 hours, turn the fillet to cure the other side. After 30 hours, wash off the marinade and place on oven racks and air dry.
To serve, place the salmon fillet in the centre and place the shredded vegetables, the preserves, leaves, nuts and crackers around it. Drizzle plum sauce.
*Yu Sheng is usually served during Chinese New Year. The name originates from the Cantonese phrase, Lo Hei meaning "tossing up good fortune". Guests are encouraged to toss their salad to bring in good fortune.
 
Golden Treasure Pockets
Serves 2
Ingredients:
30gm abalone
5gm fatt choi
10gm dry morel mushroom
10gm menoki mushrooms
10gm shimeji mushroom
20gm shiitake mushroom
20gm king oyster mushroom
20gm carrot  
20gm may bean
For seasoning
10ml abalone sauce
10ml oyster sauce
8gm sugar
3gm sea salt
5ml dark soya sauce
5gm potato starch
For wrap
2 pastry wraps
30gm black and white sesame seeds
1 egg white
2 pieces seaweed

Method:
Chop the mushrooms, beans and carrots; blanch and add seasoning. Stir-fry and thicken with potato starch. Soak the fatt choi till soft, squeeze dry and set aside. Cook the abalone and chop. Mix together with the fatt choi.
Fill the mix in each pastry sheet and shape like money bags. Tie with a piece of seaweed.
Stick the black and white sesame seeds on the bottom of the bags with egg white. Fry this for three minutes in 180°C hot oil.
Spray a thin layer of gold spray on the pastry before serving.
* The golden purse dim sum is represented as a money bag. The gold symbolises wealth and riches and is a colour widely used in celebrations
Lucky Jie
Serves 4
Ingredients:
350gm Caraibe chocolate
450gm Jivara chocolate
1,200gm cream
630gm sugar
75gm glucose
6gm fleur de sel
300gm butter, room temperature
For mandarin gel
469gm mandarin puree (1)
156gm mandarin puree (2)
15gm pectin
78ml stock syrup, cold
16gm Xanthan gum

Method:
Dry-caramelise the sugar until dark and smoking. Take off heat and add glucose. Add cream gradually and bring to a light boil and let cool to 55°C. Melt the chocolates and emulsify until smooth. Blend in the butter (room temperature), fleur de sel and pour onto a fleximat. Let crystalise in the fridge overnight (not the freezer).  
Cut into strips 1cm wide and tie into a knot. If the ganache is too firm from the fridge, let it temper at room temperature. Set in freezer once the knot is made, and spray with red velvet finish once frozen. Store in refrigerator.
Mandarin gel Combine the pectin and sugar, add to puree (1) and blend for 30 seconds. Mix xanthan with puree (2) and stock syrup. Blend well for a minute. Heat puree (1) to 90°C and then take off the heat. Combine with puree (2) and blend well again.
To serve: Spread the gel on a plate and place the knot above it.

*The lucky Chinese knot is a long-standing tradition and is considered to contain great fortune as they ward off evil spirits