Yu Sheng is often eaten during Chinese New Year as an appetizer as it symbolises good luck.
Apart from fresh shredded vegetables, other ingredients in yu sheng include sliced raw fish, crackers and a sweet plum sauce.
When all ingredients are added in, all diners at the table would stand and toss the ingredients with their chopsticks while saying various "auspicious wishes" out loud. It is believed that the height of the toss reflects the height of the diner's growth in fortunes.
Ingredients :
• 3 ½ oz Fresh Salmon
• 16 oz of Daikon (White Radish), finely shredded
• 16 oz of Carrot, finely shredded
• 1 Piece Red Pepper (Capsicum), sliced thinly
• 1 inch Fresh Ginger, shredded paper thin
• ¼ Cup of Sweet Pickled Ginger, finely shredded
• 7 Pieces Fresh Kaffir Lime Leaves, finely shredded
• 4 Sprigs of fresh Chinese Parsley
• ¼ Cup of Peanuts, chopped
• Toasted Sesame seeds for garnish
• Chinese Shrimp Crackers for garnish (or Fried Dried Shrimps)
• 1 Tablespoon of Five-Spice Powder
Dressing :
• 2/3 Cup of Plum Sauce
• ½ Cup of Water
• 1 Tablespoon of Vegetable Oil
• 1/3 Cup of Sugar
• Salt to taste
Marinade :
• 1 Teaspoon of Vegetable Oil
• 1 Teaspoon of Sesame Oil
• ¼ Teaspoon of Sugar
• 1/8 Teaspoon of White Pepper
• 1/8 Teaspoon of Five-Spice Powder
• 1 Piece Lemon, squeezed
• Salt to taste
Directions :
1. In separate bowls, cover finely shredded Radish and Carrots with Cold Water and set aside.
2. To make the dressing, mix the Plum Sauce and Water together. Heat oil over low heat and add the Plum Sauce, Sugar and Salt. Cook until Sugar dissolves. Mix the marinade ingredients together in a bowl. Add Fish Slices and mix. Mound the Fish in the center of the platter. Rinse the Carrots and Daikon and squeeze out excess water. Mound each vegetable - Carrot, Daikon, Red Pepper and Chinese Parsley around the Fish on the platter. Then scatter the Ginger and Lime Leaves over the Fish.
3. Finally, top with Peanut, Sesame Seeds, Shrimp Crackers and Five Spice Powder. Then pour the cooled dressing over the Salad.
For 4-6 servings