Mauritian yu sang (sashimi prosperity salad)

A Mauritian spin on the Lunar New Year prosperity salad — fresh sashimi, vibrant crunchy veg and a tangy plum dressing. Traditionally tossed high at the table for good luck, prosperity and a fresh start to the year.

Credit: Brendan Pang

• serves

  4

• prep

  25 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

Plum vinaigrette

• 3 tbsp plum sauce
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1–2 tbsp rice vinegar
• ⅛ tsp white pepper
• 2 tsp sesame oil

Fish

• 400 g sashimi-grade salmon or tuna, thinly sliced
• ¼ tsp Chinese five spice
• Small handful fresh coconut, finely grated
• 2 makrut lime leaves, very finely sliced
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 2 tbsp neutral oil

Vegetables

• 1 cup julienned radish
• 1 cup julienned carrot
• ½ cup finely sliced celery
• ½ cup chopped wombok
• ¼ cup pickled red onion, thinly sliced (or other pickles)
• ¼ cup pickled ginger
• Small handful coriander leaves, chopped

Toppings

• 1–2 tomatoes, sliced
• ½ cup croutons, lightly crushed
• ¼ cup roasted peanuts, crushed
• 1–2 large green chillies, sliced
• Extra coriander leaves, to garnish

Instructions

1. Whisk together the plum sauce, lime juice, rice vinegar, white pepper and sesame oil in a small bowl until smooth.
2. Place the sliced sashimi fish in a mixing bowl. Sprinkle with the five spice, then add the grated coconut, makrut lime leaves, lemon zest and oil. Gently toss to coat and set aside for about 10 minutes to infuse.
3. Place the julienned radish in iced water for 5–10 minutes to crisp. Drain well and squeeze out as much liquid as possible — the vegetables should be completely dry.
4. Add the radish to a large bowl with the carrot, celery, wombok, pickled onion, pickled ginger, coriander and the plum vinaigrette. Toss well to combine.
5. Arrange the dressed vegetables on a large serving platter. Top with sliced tomatoes, the marinated fish, croutons, roasted peanuts, sliced chillies and extra coriander.
6. Toss everything together at the table, lifting the salad high as you mix — a tradition believed to bring prosperity and good luck.

Notes

• Use sashimi-grade fish from a trusted fishmonger and keep it well chilled until serving. If you prefer, lightly cured or seared fish also works.

• You can prep all the components ahead - just keep the fish separate and assemble right before serving so everything stays fresh and crisp.

• Make sure the vegetables are very dry after soaking the radish in iced water, otherwise the dressing can become diluted.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.