Original-Style Wuling Soft-Shelled Turtle

Original-Style Wuling Soft-Shelled Turtle

　　Made from soft-shelled turtles produced in the Wuling area of Changde County, Hunan Province, these turtles have a bright yellow hue, tender and rich meat, and an exceptionally delicious flavor. Dead turtles are toxic and must not be consumed. Turtle meat has a strong fishy and gamey smell, so during cooking, they need to be washed and boiled thoroughly, with added scallions and ginger to eliminate the odor. Turtles should be eaten hot and in one go—once the dish cools and is reheated, the fishy taste intensifies and becomes hard to swallow. This dish is tender, richly aromatic, full of original flavor, with glossy sauce and thick juices, delicious and appetizing.

　　　　[Ingredients/Seasonings]

　　　　2 live Wuling soft-shelled turtles (about 2000g), 300g pork belly, 50g cooked ham, 25g mushrooms, 50g lard, 5g salt, 2g MSG, 100g cooking wine, 2.5g pepper, 50g yellow vinegar, 25g scallions, 25g ginger, 50g garlic cloves, 15g chicken oil.

　　　　[Preparation Steps]

　　　　1. Wash the pork belly, cut into 1cm-thick slices, blanch in boiling water, then rinse. Cut the ham into 3cm squares. Wash and slice the mushrooms. Wash the garlic cloves. Cut the white part of the scallions into sections, mash half the ginger into a paste with vinegar to make a sauce, and roughly crush the remaining scallions and ginger.

　　　　2. Clean and prepare the turtles, briefly blanch them in boiling water, then remove. Rub off the membrane, cut open the belly to remove internal organs, discard bones, chop off the head and claw tips, then cut into 4cm cubes. Place in a bowl, marinate with cooking wine and salt for about 15 minutes, then drain.

　　　　3. Line a clay pot with bamboo slices, add the crushed scallions and ginger, pork belly, garlic cloves, ham slices, mushroom slices, and turtle pieces. Add cooking wine, pepper, salt, and water. Cover with a plate, bring to a boil over high heat, skim off foam, then simmer over low heat for about 30 minutes until the turtle is tender.

　　　　4. Turn the turtle out onto a deep plate, remove the scallions, ginger, and pork belly. Boil the turtle broth again, add MSG, pepper, and scallion sections, reduce the sauce, pour over the turtle, drizzle with chicken oil, and serve with two small side dishes of ginger-vinegar sauce.