Yusheng

Yusheng is very popular dish that is served throughout Malaysia and Singapore and, to a smaller extent, Hong Kong during the Chinese New Year Festival. As with most things Chinese, it comes with good omens and implications.

• serves

  4

• prep

  25 minutes

• cook

  5 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

50 g shredded daikon (white radish)

50 g shredded green papaya

50 g shredded carrot

6 pickled leek onions

10 g pricked red colored shredded ginger (from Japanese grocery shop)

1 pomelo segment, loosely broken into smaller parts

2 kaffir lime leaves, finely shredded

150 g sashimi salmon, thinly sliced

Sauce

oil, for frying

1 clove garlic

10 g finely chopped onion

4 kumquats, deseeded

1 tbsp sugar

60 ml (¼ cup) plum sauce

Garnish

2 sprigs coriander leaves

1 spring onion, thinly sliced

1 tbsp crushed roasted peanuts

½ tsp roasted white sesame seeds

10 pieces of wonton wrappers, cut into fine strips, deep fried to form golden crackers

30 g thinly shredded taro, deep fried to form crispy croutons

½ lime

¼ tsp white pepper (in red New Year packet), to serve

¼ tsp five-spice powder (in red New Year packet), to serve

2 tbsp onion oil, to serve

Instructions

To make the sauce, heat oil in a frypan. Add the garlic and onions, and cook until soft. Add the kumquat, sugar and some water.

Blend the kumquat mixture, add the plum sauce, and stir well.

Arrange the daikon, papaya, carrot, leek onion, ginger, pomelo and kaffir lime on a large plate. Arrange the salmon on a separate plate.

Garnish with coriander, spring onions, nuts, sesame seeds and wonton crackers. Top with crispy taro and garnish with the lime.

Serve the dish with the two red packets on the side and the onion oil and sauce in separate bowls.

At the table, all guests gather around and the host will place the salmon (yee sang) on the salad, squeeze the lime juice and sprinkle the pepper and five-spice on the salad, then pour the oil and sauce over it.

Everyone participates by using chopsticks to toss the salad and chat 'Lo Hey" to signify prosperity for the year.

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.