Mushroom and Ham Winter Melon
A Zhejiang dish of tender, flavorful melon infused with the aroma of ham.
Ingredients
winter melon
500 g
canned fresh mushrooms
10
ham
25 g
chicken broth
50 g
salt
to taste
sugar
to taste
MSG
to taste
ground white pepper
to taste
lard
to taste
chicken fat
to taste
wet cornstarch
to taste
Instructions
1
Step 1
Peel off the outer thin skin of the winter melon (retain the green skin, do not scrape it off), scoop out the pulp, wash, and cut into connected double-slices that are 1.5 cm thick and 6 cm long. Place on a plate. Cut the ham into thin slices that are 0.5 cm thick and 5 cm long, and place on the plate.
2
Step 2
Add water to a pot and bring to a boil. Add the winter melon and cook until tender, then remove and rinse with cold water.
3
Step 3
Place a slice of ham between each pair of winter melon slices, repeating until all the ham has been tucked into the winter melon. Arrange (seam-side down) into a heatproof bowl, add salt, MSG, lard, and chicken broth, then steam until the winter melon has absorbed the flavors.
4
Step 4
Place a wok over heat with a little lard, splash in the cooking wine, then add the chicken broth and mushrooms. Pour the steaming liquid from the winter melon bowl into the wok (flip the winter melon onto a serving plate). Season the wok with salt, MSG, sugar, and ground white pepper. Once the sauce comes to a boil and is well balanced, thicken with a light cornstarch slurry and drizzle in the chicken fat. Remove the bowl from the serving plate, pour the sauce over the winter melon slices, and arrange the mushrooms around the outside. Serve.
