New Year Fish Yee Sang

Want to know how to make 'New Year Fish Yee Sang'? Just click PLAY for the video. 

THE "X" IN X'MAS

I know I said you can improvise and compromise when it comes to yee sang. And you SHOULD, just to give life variety. But if you're considering turkey with yee sang, I'm telling you no - never ever! 

That's what a friend of mine proposed for his family's Christmas dinner this year, to which I was invited. I thought he was either joking or he had brain fever. It was neither. He was serious. I was equally serious when I declined the invitation to his Christmas repast. 

At this juncture, let me assure you that meat - any kind of meat - will NOT go down with yee sang ingredients or its dressing. Most kinds of seafood will blend, but some should not be taken uncooked. But when it comes to mixing any kind of meat - rare, medium or well-done - in your yee sang, place a big "X" across the idea.

That doesn't mean you can't have yee sang as an additional item - as a starter, for instance, before you tuck into the turkey. And you can loh hey, wishing for peace on earth and goodwill to all mankind. Like I always say, it's an endearing custom.

Have yourself a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

BOLDWRITER

YEE SANG A'LA MALAYSIA

Yee sang is versatile - or rather, YOU can be versatile when it comes to the enjoyment of the dish. Here's a suggestion of how you may go about it. Try concocting yee sang with a Malaysian flavour.

Add thin slivers of fresh jack fruit (buah nangka) to the ingredients. Make sure the flesh is finely sliced so that it will blend well with the dressing. 

Now for another element - finely pounded cashew nuts. This will give the dish a new texture as well as an enhanced taste. For a better effect, I suggest you sprinkle the pounded cashews over the dish after the sauce has been stirred into the other ingredients.

And there you have it - yee sang a'la Malaysia! Enjoy!

 

LOH HEY LAR ! EVERYONE...

Some people think that Yee Sang is strictly Chinese. Well, some people are so very wrong.

Though of Chinese origin, Yee Sang is, first and foremost, a treat for the palate. It's actually a delicacy for all. How so? I'll explain. 

Anyone can enjoy it. It contains neither animal meat nor extract, save for sashimi (and that's optional). It's low on calories and settles easily on the stomach. (It has to be, since it's an appetiser!)

If you're a health freak and a confirmed vegetarian, fine! Just forego the sashimi and everything else is of botanic origin, the sauce included. 

Yee Sang is also good news for those who are weight-conscious. There's precious little carbohydrate and fat to provide unwanted calories. Imagine demolishing a whole plate of yummy eatables and not being bothered as to what it'll do to your waistline.

And if you've never tried Yee Sang before, all I have to say is - you don't know what you've been missing. Let me try to describe it for you.

Basically, it's a salad. Everything's in thin slices and small pieces. You don't have to do any cooking, heating or chilling - "instant" is the word. All you need to do is place the ingredients on a plate, pour the sauce over it and stir thoroughly.

It's crispy, crunchy, a little sweet, a little tangy, with its unique flavour settling beautifully on your tongue. Maybe I'll just use one word to describe the experience - SLURP! 

You don't have to bother with chopsticks if you're not used to them. Use a fork, spoon or ladle to stir and mix. Heck, you can use your fingers if you want to - the taste remains the same. Just remember to blend the sauce well with the ingredients.

And if you want to "Loh Hey" like the Chinese, just say: "May (whatever it is you want) come my way!" Then toss the ingredients high in the air and let them fall back on the plate. 

That's all there is to it? You bet.

-BOLDWRITER-