Nan Pai Assorted Stew
A dish of excellent color, aroma, and flavor that brings together abalone, sea cucumber, squid, and other ingredients—ideal as a signature opening course for banquet menus.
Ingredients
Dried abalone (tenderized with boric acid, scored crosswise on both sides)
8
Sea cucumber (rehydrated)
to taste
Squid (rehydrated)
to taste
Quail eggs (steamed until set, peeled, dusted with cornstarch and fried)
12
Cooked ham
to taste
Cooked chicken
to taste
White radish (cut into decorative shapes)
to taste
Winter bamboo shoots (cut into decorative shapes)
to taste
Dried shiitake mushrooms
to taste
Fresh mushrooms
to taste
Baby bok choy / choy sum hearts
to taste
Scallion and ginger
to taste
Cornstarch (for both dry-dusting and slurry)
to taste
Chicken stock
to taste
Boric acid (used to tenderize the abalone)
to taste
Shaoxing wine
to taste
Sugar
to taste
White pepper
to taste
Fine salt (mentioned in original steps)
to taste
MSG (mentioned in original steps)
to taste
Oil (for frying and roasting)
to taste
Instructions
1
Preparing the abalone
Tenderize the abalone with boric acid, then score both sides in a crosshatch pattern. Blanch the abalone in boiling water several times to remove any boric acid taste. Season with chicken stock, scallion, and ginger, and roast over low heat until the flavors are fully absorbed.
2
Preparing the sea cucumber
Once the sea cucumber is fully rehydrated, combine it with ginger, oil, Shaoxing wine, and chicken stock, and roast over low heat until the flavors are absorbed.
3
Preparing the squid
Once the squid is rehydrated, slice it crosswise and drain off any excess oil.
4
Preparing the vegetables
Cut the white radish and winter bamboo shoots into a variety of decorative shapes. Together with the dried shiitake mushrooms and choy sum hearts, briefly poach them in warm oil.
5
Preparing the quail eggs
Steam the quail eggs until set, then peel them. Dust the peeled eggs with dry cornstarch and briefly fry in hot oil. Finish by roasting over low heat for about ten minutes.
6
Combining and braising
Combine all of the prepared ingredients with the cooked ham and cooked chicken in chicken stock. Season with salt, MSG, sugar, Shaoxing wine, and white pepper, and roast briefly. Arrange the ingredients by color in a circular pattern, with the quail eggs in the center. Thicken a small amount of the cooking liquid with a wet cornstarch slurry and pour it over the dish before serving.
