Impressive Lunar New Year platter with shrimp, pork, potstickers, and crisp vegetables arranged on a serving board.
# The Ingredients You'll Need:
→ Proteins
01 - 16 cooked shrimp, peeled with tails on
02 - 7 oz sliced Chinese BBQ pork (char siu)
03 - 8 cooked chicken potstickers
→ Vegetables & Fruits
04 - 1 English cucumber, thinly sliced
05 - 1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
06 - 1 yellow bell pepper, cut into strips
07 - 1 cup sugar snap peas, blanched
08 - 1 cup shredded purple cabbage
09 - 1 medium carrot, cut into thin matchsticks
10 - 1 small bunch fresh cilantro
11 - 1 small bunch green onions, sliced diagonally
→ Rice & Noodles
12 - 1 cup cooked sushi rice, cooled
13 - 8 seaweed-wrapped rice balls (onigiri or sushi-style)
→ Sauces & Dips
14 - ½ cup sweet chili sauce
15 - ½ cup hoisin sauce
16 - ½ cup soy sauce
17 - 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
→ Garnishes
18 - 1 red chili, thinly sliced (optional)
19 - 1 small mandarin orange
20 - Black sesame seeds for decoration
# Step-by-Step Instructions:
01 - Gather and prepare all ingredients, arranging them neatly for easy assembly.
02 - On a large serving board, form a winding dragon shape using thin cucumber slices as the body base.
03 - Layer shrimp, Chinese BBQ pork slices, cooked potstickers, and rice balls along the cucumber body to mimic scales and texture.
04 - Use bell pepper strips, blanched snap peas, shredded purple cabbage, carrot matchsticks, and sliced green onions to craft vibrant fins, spines, and tail elements along the dragon’s body.
05 - Create the head at one end with a rice ball, decorating with black sesame seeds for eyes, red chili strips for whiskers or fire, and arrange cilantro to resemble a feathery mane.
06 - Position the mandarin orange near the dragon’s mouth symbolizing the pearl.
07 - Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds over the entire arrangement to enhance texture.
08 - Present the platter with bowls of sweet chili sauce, hoisin sauce, and soy sauce for dipping.
09 - Garnish with extra cilantro and green onions as desired and serve immediately.
