Fresh Mushroom and Ham Winter Melon

Fresh Mushroom and Ham Winter Melon

　　　500g winter melon, 10 canned fresh mushrooms, 25g ham, 50g chicken stock, salt, sugar, monosodium glutamate (MSG), pepper, lard, chicken oil, and an appropriate amount of cornstarch slurry.

　　【Preparation Method】

　　1. Peel off the thin outer skin of the winter melon (leave the green skin intact), scoop out the pulp, wash clean, and cut into 1.5cm-thick, 6cm-long double-sliced connected pieces, then place them in a dish. Slice the ham into 0.5cm-thick, 5cm-long slices and also put them in a dish. 2. Bring water to a boil in a pot, add the winter melon slices, cook until tender, then remove and rinse with cold water. 3. Sandwich a slice of ham between each pair of winter melon slices. Continue this process until all the ham slices are used. Place the winter melon-ham stacks (hollow side down) in a heatproof bowl, season with salt, MSG, lard, and chicken stock, then steam until the winter melon is well-flavored. 4. Heat a bit of lard in a pan, splash in a little cooking wine to deglaze, add the chicken stock and fresh mushrooms. Pour the original winter melon cooking liquid back into the pan (place the steamed winter melon upside down on a plate). Season the pan liquid with salt, MSG, sugar, and pepper. Once the soup comes to a boil, adjust the taste, thicken it slightly with a cornstarch slurry, drizzle in chicken oil, remove the bowl from the plate, and pour the sauce over the winter melon stacks, arranging the fresh mushrooms around the winter melon to finish.