Steamed Eight-Treasure Soft-Shelled Turtle

Name: Steamed Eight-Treasure Soft-Shelled Turtle
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 3 h 30 min
Total time: 4 h 15 min
Ingredients: 450 g Soft-shelled turtle (live, placed belly-up until it extends its head, then the head is chopped off, with innards and claws removed); 20 g Rehydrated sea cucumber (cut into 0.6 cm dice); 20 g Dried scallops; 20 g Lotus seeds; 15 g Water-soaked glutinous rice; 30 g Pork, lean and fat (cut into 0.6 cm dice); 20 g Yellow egg cake (cut into 0.6 cm dice); 15 g Bamboo shoots (cut into 0.6 cm dice); 20 g Dried shiitake mushrooms (cut into 0.6 cm dice); 30 g Chicken meat; 40 g Pork shoulder; 5 g Fine salt; 15 g Shaoxing wine; 150 g Clear broth; 15 g Julienned ginger; 15 g Sichuan peppercorns; 10 g Scallion segments; 60 g Wet cornstarch (for thickening)

A traditional specialty of Shandong cuisine, featuring eight treasure ingredients in a clear, mellow broth with rich, layered flavors.

4h 15m

Easy

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Steamed Eight-Treasure Soft-Shelled Turtle

Ingredients

Soft-shelled turtle (live, placed belly-up until it extends its head, then the head is chopped off, with innards and claws removed) 450 g

Rehydrated sea cucumber (cut into 0.6 cm dice) 20 g

Dried scallops 20 g

Lotus seeds 20 g

Water-soaked glutinous rice 15 g

Pork, lean and fat (cut into 0.6 cm dice) 30 g

Yellow egg cake (cut into 0.6 cm dice) 20 g

Bamboo shoots (cut into 0.6 cm dice) 15 g

Dried shiitake mushrooms (cut into 0.6 cm dice) 20 g

Chicken meat 30 g

Pork shoulder 40 g

Fine salt 5 g

Shaoxing wine 15 g

Clear broth 150 g

Julienned ginger 15 g

Sichuan peppercorns 15 g

Scallion segments 10 g

Wet cornstarch (for thickening) 60 g

Instructions

Initial preparation of the soft-shelled turtle

Place the live turtle belly-up. When it extends its head, quickly chop off the head with a knife. Lift the turtle and let the blood drain out completely. Briefly scald it in a pot of boiling water, then transfer to cold water. Scrape off the black skin, pry off the top shell, remove the innards, chop off the claws, rinse thoroughly with clean water, and place in a large pot.

Preparing the eight-treasure filling

Cut the sea cucumber, pork, yellow egg cake, bamboo shoots, and dried shiitake mushrooms all into 0.6 cm dice. Arrange them, together with the dried scallops, lotus seeds, and glutinous rice, inside the turtle's body cavity.

Seasoning

Pour in the sauce mixed from fine salt, Shaoxing wine, clear broth, and turtle gallbladder. Arrange the julienned ginger over the eight-treasure filling in three layers—top, middle, and bottom.

Plating

Cover with the turtle's top shell. Place the chicken and pork shoulder on top of the turtle. Combine the ginger slices with the Sichuan peppercorns and arrange them along with the scallion segments on top of the turtle shell.

Steaming

Place the bowl containing the turtle into a steamer and steam over boiling water at high heat for 3 to 4 hours. Remove, then take off the chicken and pork shoulder and pick out the scallion segments and ginger slices.

Finishing with sauce

Pour the turtle's cooking liquid into a pan, bring to a boil over high heat, thicken with wet cornstarch, and pour over the turtle. Serve immediately.