Braised Sea Cucumber with Plum Blossom Pattern

Braised Sea Cucumber with Plum Blossom Pattern

　　Main ingredients: 750g soaked sea cucumber, 500g belly pork, 500g bone-in old chicken, 50g soaked dried mushrooms, 10 meatballs, 1 stalk garlic, 25g dried shrimp, 150g lard.

　　Seasonings:

　　Salt, monosodium glutamate, Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, red fermented bean curd sauce, coriander, ginger, scallions, sesame oil, licorice, a small amount of wet starch.

　　Preparation: 1. Cut the sea cucumber into pieces about 5–6 cm long and 2 cm wide. Boil them in water with ginger, scallions, and salt. Add Shaoxing wine to remove the fishy smell, then remove and discard the ginger and scallions. Cut the belly pork and old chicken into several pieces. 2. Heat the lard in a pot until hot, stir-fry the sea cucumber briefly, then transfer it to the cooking pot (lined with bamboo mat). Stir-fry the belly pork and old chicken in the pot until fragrant, splash in Shaoxing wine, add the coriander roots (tied into a bunch), raw garlic, soy sauce, red fermented bean curd sauce, second soup, and licorice slices. Bring to a boil, then pour everything into the pot with the sea cucumber. First bring to a rapid boil, then simmer over low heat for about 1 hour. Add the dried mushrooms, meatballs, and dried shrimp. Once the sea cucumber becomes soft and tender, remove the belly pork, old chicken, raw garlic, coriander roots, and licorice slices. Remove the sea cucumber, mushrooms, meatballs, and dried shrimp, place them in a serving bowl, and reduce the original sauce in the pot. Add salt and monosodium glutamate, bring to a slight boil, thicken with diluted wet starch, mix in sesame oil and lard, and pour over the sea cucumber. Serve with two dishes of vinegar on the side.

　　Characteristics: This dish is soft but not mushy, tender and smooth in texture, rich in umami flavor, and highly nutritious.