Pan-Fried Stuffed Bitter Melon Slices

Pan-Fried Stuffed Bitter Melon Slices

　　Main ingredient: Bitter melon

　　Secondary ingredient: Pork and shrimp paste filling

　　Seasonings: Fine salt, cooking wine, ground pepper, soy sauce, fermented black bean paste, sugar, starch, broth, sesame oil, chicken bouillon, cooking oil, mashed garlic, minced ginger

　　Preparation:

　　1. Wash the bitter melon, trim off the ends, and cut horizontally into 1 cm-thick slices. Scoop out the core. Shape the pork and shrimp paste filling into small balls, each about 10 grams.

　　2. Heat a pan over a flame, pour in water to bring to a boil, add salt and oil, then blanch the bitter melon slices until just 50% cooked (about 1 minute) until they turn bright green. Remove and rinse under cold water. Pat dry with a towel, spread dry starch on the inner wall of each slice, stuff with the filling, and wipe dry.

　　3. Heat a pan and pour in oil. When the oil is about 40% hot, place the stuffed bitter melon slices in the pan. Add more oil while frying until both sides are golden brown. Then add mashed garlic, minced ginger, and fermented black bean paste, pour in cooking wine, add broth, chicken bouillon, fine salt, and sugar. Bring the bitter melon slices to a boil, use soy sauce to set the color, let simmer for about 1 minute, add ground pepper, thicken with a cornstarch slurry, and drizzle with sesame oil before serving.