Steamed Whole Winter Melon Soup Recipe(Dun Dong Gua Jung) |
Ingredients: |
1 winter melon (about 3 kg) ⅓ cup Canton Roast Duck meat, cut into ⅓-inch dice ⅓ cup barbecued pork, cut into ⅓-inch dice ⅓ cup prepared Smithfield Ham, cut into ⅓-inch dice 2 steamed dry scallops, julienned by hand 6 Chinese dried black Shiitake mushrooms, soaked for 30 minutes in hot water, washed, stems discarded, and cut into ¼-inch dice 3 fresh water chestnuts, peeled and cut into ¼-inch dice 1½ teaspoons minced fresh ginger 1½ teaspoons minced garlic 2 tablespoons white peppercorn oil or peanut oil 5½ cups Superior Stock or Chicken Stock 1½ cups silk squash, ridges peeled, leaving most of green skin, cut into ½-inch pieces 50 g crabmeat For blanching: ¼ teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt |
Method: Use a large clam steamer with a rack for this preparation. Place the winter melon in a steamproof bowl in the steamer pot initially for measurement purposes only. Put the rack in the pot and place the melon on it. With a pencil, mark the melon around where it is even with the top of the steamer. Remove from the steamer. Cut the melon straight across at the drawn line. Discard the top. With a serrated knife, remove the seeds and soft center pulp of the melon. With the same knife, create a serrated edge around the edge of the melon. Place all the ingredients, except the silk squash, blanching ingredients and crabmeat in the melon. Tie 6 lengths of string to the rack. Place the melon in the bowl on the rack. Tie the string ends together over the open top of the melon. Place 2 to 3 inches of water in the steamer and bring to a boil. Lower the melon on the rack into the steamer. Cover and steam for at least 1 hour. While the melon steams, to blanch the silk squash, put 2 cups water into a pot with the baking soda and salt. Bring to a boil, add the silk squash, and blanch for 8 to 10 seconds, until the squash turns bring green. Run cold water into the pot, drain, and repeat. Remove and reserve. After 1 hour, check the melon sides inside to see if they are tender and softened. If they are, immediately add the silk squash and crabmeat and cook for another 10 minutes over reduced heat. The melon is done when its insides are tender and can be scooped with a spoon. When done, lift the melon and rack from the steamer and place on a serving plate. Cut the strings and remove them. Stir the soup and ladle it into individual bowls, then carefully shave pieces of melon insides and place 1 or 2 in each bowl. Serve hot. |
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