Jade Turtle Skirt
A traditional Zhejiang specialty featuring braised soft-shell turtle skirt with leafy greens, prized for its jade-green color and the tender, savory flavor of the gelatinous rim.
Ingredients
Fresh round turtle skirt (blanched in boiling water, black skin scraped off, washed, and cut into rectangular pieces)
400 g
Green vegetable leaves (blanched in boiling water with alkaline water, then drained and pureed into a green vegetable paste)
75 g
Shaoxing wine
to taste
Fine salt
to taste
MSG
to taste
Clear broth
to taste
Wet cornstarch (for slurry)
to taste
Three-flavor chicken oil
to taste
Scallion
to taste
Ginger slices
to taste
Garlic slices
to taste
Alkaline water (for blanching the greens)
to taste
Vegetable oil (for stir-frying)
to taste
Instructions
1
Make the Green Vegetable Puree
Place the green vegetable leaves in a pot of boiling water, add the alkaline water and blanch. Remove and rinse with cold water to set. Strain the leaves through a fine-mesh sieve to form a smooth green vegetable puree and set aside.
2
Prepare the Turtle Skirt
Blanch the turtle skirt in a pot of boiling water, then remove. Scrape off the black skin, wash well, and cut into rectangular pieces. Set aside.
3
Stir-Fry and Simmer
Heat a wok and add the vegetable oil. Add the garlic slices, scallion, and ginger slices and stir-fry until fragrant, then add the turtle skirt. Splash in the wine, add the clear broth, salt, and MSG. Cover and simmer until the skirt is about 80% tender, then remove and discard the scallion, ginger, and garlic slices and skim off any floating oil. Add the green vegetable puree and gently stir to combine. Thicken with the wet cornstarch slurry, transfer to a serving plate, and serve.
