Yu Sheng

Yu Sheng — also known as lo hei — is a Cantonese raw fish salad originating in Guangdong and elevated to an elaborate ritual in Singapore and Malaysia. Thin slices of fresh raw fish are arranged over a mosaic of shredded vegetables, pickles, and crispy wonton strips, then dressed with plum sauce and sesame oil. The dish is tossed communally at the table with chopsticks raised high, each ingredient symbolising a different New Year's wish.

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 300g (10 oz) sashimi-grade salmon or yellowtail, sliced paper-thin
• 100g (3½ oz) daikon, julienned
• 100g (3½ oz) carrot, julienned
• 50g (2 oz) cucumber, julienned
• 50g (2 oz) pickled ginger, sliced
• 30g (1 oz) pickled white radish (optional)
• 30g (1 oz) pomelo or grapefruit segments, torn
• 4 tbsp (60g) crispy wonton strips or fried taro strips
• 2 tbsp (30g) toasted white sesame seeds
• 2 tbsp (30g) toasted peanuts, crushed

Dressing:

• 3 tbsp (45ml) plum sauce
• 1 tbsp (15ml) sesame oil
• 1 tbsp (15ml) vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp (15ml) lime juice
• 1 tsp (5g) sugar
• ½ tsp (3g) five-spice powder
• Pinch of white pepper

Instructions

1. Whisk all dressing ingredients together until the sugar dissolves. Taste — it should be sweet, tangy, and lightly fragrant. Set aside.
2. Arrange the salmon slices in a neat fan or circle in the very centre of a large round platter.
3. Arrange each vegetable in its own section radiating outward from the fish: daikon, carrot, cucumber, pickled ginger, pomelo.
4. Scatter sesame seeds, crushed peanuts, and crispy wonton strips over the entire platter.
5. At the table, drizzle the dressing evenly over everything just before serving.
6. All diners use chopsticks to toss the salad together, lifting the ingredients as high as possible — the higher the toss, the greater the coming year's fortune. Eat immediately.

Cook's Notes: The fish must be sashimi-grade and kept refrigerated until the moment of plating. Prepare all vegetables up to a day ahead and store in ice water; drain and dry thoroughly before plating. In the original Guangdong tradition, freshwater carp was used — salmon became standard in Singapore from the 1960s onwards.