Yasmin Newman
“No party in the Philippines is complete without pancit – noodle dishes. Pancit represent longevity, so the noodle threads are left long. For Lunar New Year, the dish of choice is pancit canton – wheat noodles coated in a glossy peppery umami sauce studded with pork, prawns and cabbage.”
FOLLOW ME: @yasmin_newman
Trinh Richards
“A favourite in my family for Lunar New Year is a modern take on fried sesame balls, or bánh cam – literally ‘orange cake’, although there’s no orange in the recipe; it just loosely looks like the fruit. This recipe is super easy, and can be made ahead of time. I make these in bite-size pieces, so you can have multiple pieces per serve.”
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STEAMED TOOTHFISH, TOFU & CRISPY GARLIC
Sam Young
SERVES 2
“This is my mum’s recipe. I didn’t come from a rich family. Toothfish was not a cheap fish in Hong Kong 30 years ago. But Mum would always buy it for me. Every time I eat it, it makes me so happy! This is why I got into cooking – to put a smile on people’s faces.”
FOLLOW ME: @bigsamyoung
2 x 150g toothfish fillets
1 tbs liquid shio koji (Japanese fermented rice condiment, from Asian grocers)
100ml vegetable oil
18 (50g total) garlic cloves, chopped
150g silken tofu, thickly sliced
1 long green shallot, cut into matchsticks, plus extra long thin lengths, to serve
MUM’S SECRET DRESSING
1 tbs caster sugar
2½ tbs Lee Kum Kee seasoned soy sauce for seafood
2 tbs rice wine vinegar
2 tsp mirin
Marinate toothfish with shio koji for at least 20 minutes, turning occasionally.
Place the oil and garlic in a small saucepan and heat over medium heat for 3 minutes or until garlic starts to become golden.
