Crane-Shaped Pigeon with Premium Vegetarian Stuffing
Supreme Vegetarian Crane (上素仙鹤)
A traditional Zhejiang dish made with deboned squab stuffed with vegetarian fillings, braised, plated with broccoli arranged to form a pine tree shape, finished with a glossy starchy glaze, and featuring an elegant, attractive presentation.
Ingredients
Fresh squab pigeon (remove innards, debone and wash clean, keeping the skin intact)
1
Broccoli (blanched, arranged into a pine tree shape)
as needed
Straw mushrooms (one of the premium vegetarian ingredients, blanched and oil-blanched)
as needed
Mushrooms (one of the premium vegetarian ingredients, blanched and oil-blanched)
as needed
White fungus (one of the premium vegetarian ingredients, blanched and oil-blanched)
as needed
Baby corn (one of the premium vegetarian ingredients, blanched and oil-blanched)
as needed
Winter bamboo shoots (one of the premium vegetarian ingredients, blanched and oil-blanched)
as needed
Water chestnuts (one of the premium vegetarian ingredients, blanched and oil-blanched)
as needed
Superior broth (for braising the pigeon and making the cornstarch slurry)
as needed
Instructions
1
Prepare the pigeon
Remove the innards from the fresh squab pigeon, debone and wash clean, taking care not to damage the skin.
2
Stuffing and braising
Blanch the premium vegetarian ingredients and oil-blanch them, then place them inside the pigeon's cavity. Seal the opening with bamboo skewers, transfer to a clay pot with superior broth, season to taste, and braise over low heat.
3
Plating
Blanch the broccoli: remove the pigeon from the pot, take out the bamboo skewers, place it on a serving dish, and arrange the broccoli around it in a pine tree shape.
4
Pouring the sauce
Thicken the superior broth with cornstarch and pour it evenly over the pigeon.
