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General Chao chef Son Seewoo’s Lunar New Year ‘prosperity toss’ salad recipe

Each ingredient in yee sang represents a blessing for the coming year.

Each ingredient in yee sang represents a blessing for the coming year. Photo: Getty

Yee sang or yusheng (魚生) salad is a popular dish served during the Lunar New Year period, especially in Malaysia and Singapore.

The name translates to ‘prosperity toss’ in English, which acknowledges the dish as a symbol of abundance, prosperity, and vitality, and refers to the hands of family members lifting the food.

A staple for many at the reunion dinner during Lunar New Year, yee sang salad is made of raw fish, colourful shredded vegetables, pickles, and served with variety of sauces, nuts and herbs.

General Chao head chef Son Sewoo. Photo: Anna Kucera

Each ingredient represents a blessing for the coming year.

According to folklore, the higher you can toss the salad, the more prosperity and fortune you will have in the new year.

To celebrate the Lunar New Year, Son Sewoo, executive chef of Sydney’s General Chao, will be co-hosting a dinner on February 5 with food writer Adam Liaw as part of the Chatswood Year of the Rat Festival.

Son Sewoo’s Yee Sang ‘Prosperity Toss’ salad

Yee sang is a symbol of abundance, vitality, and prosperity. Photo: Anna Kucera/General Chao

Ingredients

30g Carrot, julienned
20g White radish, julienned
10g Red radish, thinly sliced
450g Bean sprout, blanched
20g Granny Smith apple, diced
15g Baby corn, blanched and thinly sliced 50g Mango, diced
15g Cucumber, shaved
10g Shiso leaf
10g Coriander leaf
10g Mint leaf
10g Vietnamese mint leaf
2g Shallot, thinly sliced
1g Korean red chilli powder
10ml Extra virgin olive oil
2g Black sesame seed, toasted
20g Wonton skin, deep fried
100g Salmon sashimi grade, diced
1 Egg yolk

Roasted sesame dressing

120g Mayonaise
20g Sesame oil
15g Oyster sauce
50g Sesame seed, toasted
10g Sugar
50ml Yuzu juice
50ml Lime juice
50ml Water

  • Put all ingredients in blender and process for 2 mins or until texture is smooth

Plating the salad

  1. Place salmon in the centre of the plate, then arrange all other ingredients around the salmon like a clock face, presenting them nicely as in the picture above.
  2. Place the egg yolks on top of the salmon and sprinkle sea salt flakes, black sesame seeds, Korean chilli powder olive oil and thinly sliced shallot on top.
  3. Pour the sesame dressing onto the salad just before you mix it. Grab a pair of chopsticks and toss as high as possible to ge good fortune in the New Year. Gong Xi Fa Cai!
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