When joy is scarce, we find every reason to celebrate. When Samantha’s mom first served this yee sang ‘out of season’, the whole family enjoyed it so much and decided to have it all year round. Use whatever yee sang-esque accouterments that you like, but there is no substitute for Lee Kum Kee plum sauce.
Tableware by Ilham Ceramic Studio.
Mom’s year-round yee sang
by Samantha ChehWhen joy is scarce, we find every reason to celebrate. When Samantha’s mom first served this yee sang ‘out of season’, the whole family enjoyed it so much and decided to have it all year round. Use whatever yee sang-esque accouterments that you like, but there is no substitute for Lee Kum Kee plum sauce.
Tableware by Ilham Ceramic Studio.
Servings: 4
Prep time: Slightly involved
Servings: 4
Prep time: Slightly involved
Ingredients
2 white radishes
2 carrots
½ head of iceberg lettuce
Pickled leeks or ginger, optional (preferably leeks)
10 pieces of makrut lime leaves, destemmed
⅓ medium sour pomelo (optional)
250g ground nuts (plus more if wanted)
2 tbsp sesame seeds (plus more if wanted)
130ml of Lee Kum Kee plum sauce (½ jar)
65ml calamansi lime juice
Honey (optional)
Salmon slices (optional)
Keropok, any kind (optional)
Directions
TO PREPARE:
- Shred the white radish, carrots and lettuce with a mandolin into long strips. Soak the shredded radish and carrots in ice water to remove their raw taste.
- Finely slice pickled leeks (or ginger) and makrut lime leaves, then peel apart pomelo flesh into smaller segments. Store the lettuce, pickles, makrut lime leaves, and pomelo in the fridge in a single container.
- Toast sesame seeds in a pan on high heat for about 3-4 minutes, then remove from heat. Remove skins from ground nuts and pound with a mortar and pestle, but not too finely to retain crunch. Add toasted sesame seeds to the crushed grounds nuts. Set aside.
- Mix 130ml of Lee Kum Kee plum sauce to 65ml of calamansi lime juice, stirring briskly to combine. If you find the sauce is too sour for your taste, add honey until it evens out. Set aside in the fridge.
- Remove the shredded white radish and carrots from the water, pat them down with a kitchen towel, and allow to dry for a few minutes. Store in a container in the fridge until ready to serve.
- If adding keropok, fry beforehand and break apart into smaller chunks when cool. If adding salmon, add a little bit of lime juice beforehand.
TO ASSEMBLE:
- On a wide tray or plate, arrange the white radish, carrots and lettuce in a circle at the centre. Depending on what you want to add to the dish, spread the kaffir lime leaves, pomelo chunks, peanut and sesame mix, keropok pieces, and salmon slices evenly over the dish.
- Drizzle most of the plum sauce over the top of everything, leaving a bit aside for ad-hoc drizzling, and prepare to toss.
- Pray for good health, a bit more money than last year, love, and joy for everyone, and mix everything into a holy mess.
- Eat, joyfully.
Tips
- Samantha’s mom strongly recommends using the Lee Kum Kee plum sauce because it has yielded the best flavour compared to other plum sauces they have tried.
- The measurements for the nuts can vary easily depending on whether you like the dish crunchier or not.
- If no seafood is added, the dish is fully vegan.
Ingredients
2 white radishes
2 carrots
½ head of iceberg lettuce
Pickled leeks or ginger, optional (preferably leeks)
10 pieces of makrut lime leaves, destemmed
⅓ medium sour pomelo (optional)
250g ground nuts (plus more if wanted)
2 tbsp sesame seeds (plus more if wanted)
130ml of Lee Kum Kee plum sauce (½ jar)
65ml calamansi lime juice
Honey (optional)
Salmon slices (optional)
Keropok, any kind (optional)
Directions
TO PREPARE:
- Shred the white radish, carrots and lettuce with a mandolin into long strips. Soak the shredded radish and carrots in ice water to remove their raw taste.
- Finely slice pickled leeks (or ginger) and makrut lime leaves, then peel apart pomelo flesh into smaller segments. Store the lettuce, pickles, makrut lime leaves, and pomelo in the fridge in a single container.
- Toast sesame seeds in a pan on high heat for about 3-4 minutes, then remove from heat. Remove skins from ground nuts and pound with a mortar and pestle, but not too finely to retain crunch. Add toasted sesame seeds to the crushed grounds nuts. Set aside.
- Mix 130ml of Lee Kum Kee plum sauce to 65ml of calamansi lime juice, stirring briskly to combine. If you find the sauce is too sour for your taste, add honey until it evens out. Set aside in the fridge.
- Remove the shredded white radish and carrots from the water, pat them down with a kitchen towel, and allow to dry for a few minutes. Store in a container in the fridge until ready to serve.
- If adding keropok, fry beforehand and break apart into smaller chunks when cool. If adding salmon, add a little bit of lime juice beforehand.
TO ASSEMBLE:
- On a wide tray or plate, arrange the white radish, carrots and lettuce in a circle at the centre. Depending on what you want to add to the dish, spread the kaffir lime leaves, pomelo chunks, peanut and sesame mix, keropok pieces, and salmon slices evenly over the dish.
- Drizzle most of the plum sauce over the top of everything, leaving a bit aside for ad-hoc drizzling, and prepare to toss.
- Pray for good health, a bit more money than last year, love, and joy for everyone, and mix everything into a holy mess.
- Eat, joyfully.
Tips
- Samantha’s mom strongly recommends using the Lee Kum Kee plum sauce because it has yielded the best flavour compared to other plum sauces they have tried.
- The measurements for the nuts can vary easily depending on whether you like the dish crunchier or not.
- If no seafood is added, the dish is fully vegan.
