Braised Soft-shell Turtle in Brown Sauce

Name: Braised Soft-shell Turtle in Brown Sauce
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 1 h 15 min
Total time: 1 h 40 min
Ingredients: 750 g Soft-shell turtle (live, slaughtered and cleaned); 50 g Tender chicken thigh (cut into 2.5 cm cubes); 25 g Pork shank meat (cut into 2.5 cm cubes); 25 g Yellow wheat paste; 15 g Scallion (whites cut into segments); 10 g Ginger (sliced); 5 g Sichuan peppercorns; 5 g Star anise; 100 g Rendered pork fat; 10 g Soy sauce; 15 g Shaoxing wine; 100 g Clear broth

A classic Shandong-style turtle dish featuring a rich, flavorful broth and tender, fine-textured meat. Nutritious and satisfying.

1h 40m

Easy

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Braised Soft-shell Turtle in Brown Sauce

Ingredients

Soft-shell turtle (live, slaughtered and cleaned) 750 g

Tender chicken thigh (cut into 2.5 cm cubes) 50 g

Pork shank meat (cut into 2.5 cm cubes) 25 g

Yellow wheat paste 25 g

Scallion (whites cut into segments) 15 g

Ginger (sliced) 10 g

Sichuan peppercorns 5 g

Star anise 5 g

Rendered pork fat 100 g

Soy sauce 10 g

Shaoxing wine 15 g

Clear broth 100 g

Instructions

Prepare the turtle

Slaughter and clean the live soft-shell turtle, blanch it in boiling water, scrape off the black skin, trim the claws, and rinse well. Place it back into a pot of boiling water and simmer briefly until the shell can be pried open, then lift it out and transfer to a basin of cold water. Peel off the shell and the soft skirt together, remove the intestines while keeping the liver and gallbladder. Then separate the head, neck, and four limbs.

Cut and portion the ingredients

Cut the chicken thigh meat and pork shank meat into 2.5 cm cubes and place them together in a bowl. Cut the scallion whites into segments, slice the ginger, and set everything aside.

Build the flavor base

Add the rendered pork fat to a wok and heat over medium until about 50% hot (around 110°C). Add the scallion and ginger and fry until golden, then stir in the yellow wheat paste and cook it through. Add the Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, chicken, and pork and stir-fry briefly, then pour in the soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, and clear broth.

Braise until tender

Once the liquid comes to a boil, reduce to medium heat and simmer for 10 minutes, skimming off any foam. Transfer everything into a clay pot, then arrange the turtle together with the head, neck, and four limbs into an attractive shape. Add the turtle liver and gallbladder, cover with the clay pot lid, and place over low heat to simmer until the meat is tender and falling apart. Fish out and discard the scallion, ginger, Sichuan peppercorns, and star anise before serving.