Recipe: Chinese New Year Salad (Yu Sang)

CHINESE NEW YEAR SALAD (YU SANG)

1/2 lb fresh sashimi-grade* tuna or striped bass fillet(about 6x2x 1/2-inch piece)
2 cups peeled, finely shredded chinese white radish (daikon)**
2 cups peeled, finely shredded carrot**
6 thin quarter-sized slices of fresh young ginger, finely shredded
1/3 cup finely shredded sweet preserved pickled ginger***
1/4 cup finely shredded pickled scallions***
6 fresh or frozen kaffir lime leaves, finely shredded (optional)****
1 large red jalapeno chile, seeded and finely shredded
1/2 bunch green onions, finely shredded
1/2 bunch cilantro, leaves only
1/4 cup chopped peanuts
toasted sesame seeds, for garnish
1 lime or lemon, cut in half and seeded
crisp fried shrimp chips (or fried rice stick noodles), for garnish
FOR THE MARINADE:
1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 tbsp Asian sesame oil
1/4 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp white pepper
1/8 tsp five-spice powder
juice of 1 lemon

Chill fish until firm. Cut into paper-thin, 2-inch-long slices against the grain; set aside.

In separate bowls, cover radishes and carrots with cold water; set aside until ready to assemble salad. Then rinse and squeeze out excess water.

TO ASSEMBLE:
Toss fish slices with marinade ingredients. Place fish in center of a platter. Arrange daikon and carrot shreds around fish. Scatter fresh and pickled ginger, the pickled scallions, lime leaves, chiles, green onions and cilantro over fish. Sprinkle with peanuts and sesame seeds.

Just before serving, squeeze the lime or lemon juice over all. It is customary for everyone to join in and toss the salad. Using chopsticks, each diner digs from the bottom of the salad and lifts the ingredients to mix together.

When the salad is fully tossed, taste for seasoning. Adjust with more sesame oil, lime juice, salt and/or some of the juices from the pickled vegetables.

Garnish with shrimp chips or fried rice stick noodles.

NOTES:

*The quality and freshness of the fish is crucial for the success of the dish. Purchase the fish from a Japanese fish shop that specializes in sashimi, or a reliable fishmonger.

**To facilitate the very fine shredding of the radish and carrot, use a mandolin or the fine shredding disc of a food processor.

***Bottled pickled ginger and pickled scallions may be found in Chinese markets.

****Kaffir lime leaves may be found in Thai grocery stores. If kaffir leaves are not available, omit or substitute domestic lime leaves.

Servings: 4
Source: San Francisco Chronicle, February 3, 1993