Putting their own touch on the traditional yu sheng is quirky Anglo-Chinese restaurant, Chopsuey Cafe. Instead of shredded carrots, cucumber and white radish, the Lucky Lunar Lo Hei sounds more like a well-dressed salad with kale, celeriac, sprouts and red radish. Blueberries and wild rice add some colour and heft to the dish, while the raw fish component is represented by cured trout, or smoked salmon.
The dressing balances sweet and sour with fresh calamansi and lemon juice, plum sauce, marmalade and Japanese vinegar, perfect for those who are not fans of the usually over-sweet yu sheng. Modify it to your taste to get more mileage out of this versatile recipe - it works as a delicious salad long after the Chinese New Year decorations have come down.
Recipe courtesy of Chopsuey Cafe
Part 1
20g pumpkin
20g celeriac
20g red chicory
50g silver sprout
20g kale
15g Mesclun salad
20g red radish
20g pomegranate
20g blueberries
20g pomelo
10g raisins
10g mixed herbs (coriander, Thai basil, sweet basil, lemon balm)
20g peanuts
20g black and white sesame seeds
1 packet pok chui
120g cured trout (or smoked salmon)
20g wild rice
1 piece lime leaf
For the sauce:
1 tsp calamansi juice
1 tsp plum sauce
1 tsp marmalade
1 tsp Japanese vinegar
1 tsp lemon juice
Method:
1. Use a mandolin and julienne the carrots, pumpkin, red chicory, red radish and celeriac.
2. Rinse the shredded vegetables in water, drain and store in the fridge.
3. To assemble, mix all the ingredients in Part 1 and arrange in the centre of a large round plate.
4. Create little piles of the ingredients in Part 2 around the side of the plate.
5. In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the sauce. Pour over the lo hei plate tableside and allow guests to combine while sharing good wishes for the new year!
