Goldfish Playing with Lotus

Name: Goldfish Playing with Lotus
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 7 min
Total time: 32 min
Ingredients: 200 g dried squid (alkali-treated until tender, rinsed clean); 100 g shrimp mousse; 50 g fresh red pepper (diced into rice-grain size); 15 g vinegar; 25 g pickled vegetables (diced into rice-grain size); 3 egg whites; 50 g minced pork; 5 g fine salt; 25 g rehydrated shiitake mushrooms (diced into rice-grain size); 1 g MSG; 25 g cilantro (for garnish); 50 g dry starch; 15 g green peas (for decorating the lotus pods); 15 g garlic cloves (diced into rice-grain size); 15 g sesame oil; 750 g rendered lard (about 150 g actually used)

A classic Hunan dish showcasing exquisite knife work, with tangy, spicy, and aromatic flavors. Features tender-crisp squid and silky lotus pods.

32 min

Easy

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Ingredients

dried squid (alkali-treated until tender, rinsed clean) 200 g

shrimp mousse 100 g

fresh red pepper (diced into rice-grain size) 50 g

vinegar 15 g

pickled vegetables (diced into rice-grain size) 25 g

egg whites 3

minced pork 50 g

fine salt 5 g

rehydrated shiitake mushrooms (diced into rice-grain size) 25 g

MSG 1 g

cilantro (for garnish) 25 g

dry starch 50 g

green peas (for decorating the lotus pods) 15 g

garlic cloves (diced into rice-grain size) 15 g

sesame oil 15 g

rendered lard (about 150 g actually used) 750 g

Instructions

Prepare the squid

Remove the tentacles from the dried squid, alkali-treat it until tender, and rinse it clean. On one side of the front, score a crosshatch pattern; on the other side, cut into strips about 0.3 cm thick without cutting through. Then cut into 4 cm pieces to form a goldfish shape. Place in a bowl, add 0.5 g fine salt and 25 g dry starch, and mix well. Dice the fresh red pepper, pickled vegetables, garlic cloves, and rehydrated shiitake mushrooms into rice-grain size. Combine MSG, 25 g dry starch, vinegar, and 10 g water to make a sauce.

Make the lotus pods

Beat the egg whites until smooth and fold into the shrimp mousse. Take 12 small wine cups and grease each one with rendered lard. Spoon the egg white and shrimp mousse mixture into each cup, arrange 5 green peas around the edge and 1 green pea in the center of each to resemble a lotus pod. Steam over boiling water for 2 minutes until set, then keep warm in the steamer.

Stir-fry and plate

Heat a wok over high heat, add the rendered lard and heat until about 80% hot. Blanch the scored squid briefly, stir-fry until the scored edges curl up into rolls, then remove and drain. Leave about 50 g of oil in the wok, add the diced red pepper, pickled vegetables, garlic, shiitake mushrooms, minced pork, and 4.5 g fine salt, and stir-fry until fragrant. Return the curled squid to the wok and toss to combine. Pour in the prepared sauce, toss the wok a few times to coat evenly, drizzle with the sesame oil, and remove from heat. Use chopsticks to transfer the fish curls, arranging them with their heads pointing the same way on one side of a serving plate. Place the steamed lotus pods on the other side, and arrange the cilantro around the rim. Serve immediately.