4/2/2011- THE 2ND DAY OF LUNAR NEW YEAR

Toto says "GONG XI FATT CHOY - I want an ang pow too"

Tradition is that married daughters return to the maternal home for the 2nd day of the new year. So again we gather for dinner and of course YEE SANG - tossing together as a family. These few years we had progressed to 2 tables at least with the kids growing up fast.

Salmon Yee Sang brought by eldest sister from Overseas Restoran.

My contribution to the dinner is "KUM YOKE MUN TONG"- plentiful and bountiful harvest.

There is fish (yu) ball (round completeness- yuen) pumpkin (gold) and fatt choy (good luck) that makes up this dish. Very appropriate for this CNY dinner.

It is actually FISH BALLS IN PUMPKIN SAUCE. I brought whole pumpkin before the new year and this is a good way to make use of it. I did not make the fish paste myself but got them from the wet market where the lady makes them fresh. I mixed them with fatt choy, chopped red chilli, spring onion and celery.

The Hakka people used to make the fish/meatballs (yoke yuen) in round shape. I have watched my mother-in-law making them. You got to take a lump of paste and start to squeeze them through your thumb and fist to get that round shape. It is messy and sticky though. Still need a lot of practice here.

Steamed them quickly - just 8 minutes will do and set them aside
Meanwhile, prepare the pumpkin sauce- steamed pumpkin and puree them with chicken stock.

Adjust seasoning and pour over fish balls when ready to serve. - Easy and good.

There is the usual Steamed Chicken, Roasted pork, Prawns with Salted Egg Yolk, Braised Mushroom with Dried Oyester and the small ngo koo with leeks, waxed sausage and duck.

May our tables always be plentiful!