Steamed Eight-Treasure Soft-Shelled Turtle

Name: Steamed Eight-Treasure Soft-Shelled Turtle
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 3 h 35 min
Total time: 4 h 20 min
Ingredients: 450 g live soft-shelled turtle (slaughtered, head, innards, black skin and sharp claws removed, cleaned); 20 g rehydrated sea cucumber (cut into 0.6 cm cubes); 20 g dried scallop; 20 g lotus seed; 15 g soaked glutinous rice; 30 g fatty pork (cut into 0.6 cm cubes); 20 g yellow sponge cake (cut into 0.6 cm cubes); 15 g cleaned winter bamboo shoot (cut into 0.6 cm cubes); 20 g winter mushroom (cut into 0.6 cm cubes); 30 g cleaned chicken; 40 g pork knuckle meat; 5 g fine salt; 15 g Shaoxing wine; 150 g clear broth; 15 g shredded ginger; 20 g Sichuan peppercorn; 10 g scallion segments; 60 g wet cornstarch

Steamed Eight-Treasure Soft-Shelled Turtle (Shandong cuisine): the whole turtle is steamed with a savory eight-ingredient filling, presented intact with vibrant colors, a clear and mellow broth, and rich, layered flavors.

4h 20m

Easy

0 favorites

Steamed Eight-Treasure Soft-Shelled Turtle

Ingredients

live soft-shelled turtle (slaughtered, head, innards, black skin and sharp claws removed, cleaned) 450 g

rehydrated sea cucumber (cut into 0.6 cm cubes) 20 g

dried scallop 20 g

lotus seed 20 g

soaked glutinous rice 15 g

fatty pork (cut into 0.6 cm cubes) 30 g

yellow sponge cake (cut into 0.6 cm cubes) 20 g

cleaned winter bamboo shoot (cut into 0.6 cm cubes) 15 g

winter mushroom (cut into 0.6 cm cubes) 20 g

cleaned chicken 30 g

pork knuckle meat 40 g

fine salt 5 g

Shaoxing wine 15 g

clear broth 150 g

shredded ginger 15 g

Sichuan peppercorn 20 g

scallion segments 10 g

wet cornstarch 60 g

Instructions

Process the Soft-Shelled Turtle

Place the live soft-shelled turtle with its back facing down and belly facing up. When it extends its head, quickly chop off the head, lift it to drain all blood, then blanch it in boiling water for a short time. Transfer to cold water, scrape off all black skin, remove the inner organs and sharp claws, rinse thoroughly with clean water, and place in a large pot.

Fill and Season

Cut sea cucumber, pork, sponge cake, winter bamboo shoot, and winter mushroom all into 0.6 cm cubes. Arrange these along with dried scallops, lotus seeds, and glutinous rice inside the turtle's chest cavity. Pour in the sauce mixed with fine salt, Shaoxing wine, clear broth, and turtle gall. Layer shredded ginger in three tiers (top, middle, bottom) on the eight-treasure filling, cover with the turtle shell. Place the chicken and pork knuckle meat on top of the turtle, mix scallion segments and Sichuan peppercorns together, and arrange them on the turtle shell.

Steam

Place the turtle-filled bowl into a steamer, steam over high heat for 3 to 4 hours. Remove, discard the chicken and pork knuckle meat, and pick out the scallion segments and ginger slices.

Thicken Sauce

Pour the turtle's cooking liquid into a pot, bring to a boil over high heat, thicken with wet cornstarch, then pour the sauce over the turtle to finish.