Prosperity Yue Sang (Ho Wan Yue Sang) or Raw Fish Salad
The south Chinese had for centuries been eating raw fish salad in one simple form or another. They sell it as a side dish to rice porridge using perhaps threadfin tossed with sesame oils, seeds, soy sauce and ginger with a simple greens like sliced lettuce and carrots. Fish or “Yue” can mean ease and prosperity. But these migrants and their descendants that came to Singapore and called it home had even better ideas. “ I decided to jazz up a version up for Chinese New Year and call it Ho Wan Yu Sang ( good tidings or prosperity raw fish salad) to augment it with all the auspicious connotations that comes with celebrating Chinese New Year.”, was what the late chef Lau Yoke Pui said and decided to worked his team of Four Heavenly Chefs (a official title and award given to those four chefs in the 70s).
They created this in the 50s and the rest is history. It came piled up high with julienne greens and colourful honey cured ginger, doused with plum sauce, sesame seeds and oils, , toasted crushed nuts, pepper, salt , crackers and topped with slices of thinly sliced fresh sashimi. Almost every Chinese and their non Chinese friends must have it for the festival to signify new bonds and harmony. The family gathers around it and toss them almost wildly together ( a sight to behold indeed) in unbridled joy while uttering auspicious Chinese New Year idioms loudly to drive bad spirits away. It is so prevalent today that it is sold in fancy Chinese restaurants and even hawker centre stalls. It is the most iconic CNY dish in Singapore and Malaysia.
Prosperity Yue Sang
Ingredients for YueSang. Presentation time..10mins
Carrot (long & fine julienne) 150 gm
Radish (long & fine julienne) 75 gm
Green Radish (long & fine julienne) 75 gm
Pickled ginger slices (drained, julienned) 150 gm
Red food colouring 4 drops
Green food colouring 4 drops
Yellow food coloouring 4 drops
Peanuts (chopped) 2 tbsp (approx 30gm)
Red Capsicum (julienned ) 2 pcs (approx 30gm)
Jelly fish (seasoned, julienned) 70 gm
Pomelo wedge 70 gm
Orange peel (julienned) 30 gm
Candied melon (julienne) 30 gm
Wanton Wrapper 10 pcs (cut into 6)
Fresh Salmon Sashimi (thinly sliced) 100 gm
5-Spice Powder ½ tsp
White Pepper ½ tsp
White Sesame seeds 2 tbsp
Lemon 3 slices
Ingredients for dressing
Plum sauce 100 gm
Sesame oil 3tsp
Sesame seed 1 tsp
Method (Yue Sheng preparation):
Use a fine mandolin to shred the carrot and radish into long strips. Run the vegetables under a cold water bath for 10 mins. Remove from water and use a salad spinner to remove excess moisture.
Divide the ginger strips into 3 equal parts, place in separate container. Add red, green and yellow food colouring into the 3 separate containers. Mix well. Leave ginger to rest in fridge for about 5 mins
Deep fry the wanton wrapper in hot oil till crispy. Drip dry and set aside.
Prepare the rest of the ingredients as per directions.
Method (dressing):
Mix the plum sauce with sesame oil. Mix well. Set aside.
Method (assembly):
Arrange julienned carrot and radish in the centre of a large plate.
Place the rest of the ingredients around the vegetables at edge of platter.
Sprinkle 5-spice powder, white pepper, crushed peanuts, sesame seeds and you char kway
(dough fritter sticks)over the dish.
Place salmon sashimi on top of the dish.
Drizzle the plum sauce over the Yu Sheng, and prepare to ‘LO-HEI!’
groups toss together cheerfully and shout auspicious sayings.
*if green radish is not available, replace with equal amount of radish and color it with light green food coloring
Nonya Chap Chye (Peranakan or Nonya vegetarian stew)
