Winter Melon and Soft-Shell Turtle Soup
A traditional Jingzhou specialty featuring tender turtle skirt in a clear, delicate broth scented with winter melon, served with its natural juices.
Ingredients
Live soft-shell turtle (300g)
1 whole
Ginger chunks
50g
Winter melon (peeled, cored, and shaped into balls)
1500g
Scallions
100g
Fine salt
15g
Chicken broth
100g
White vinegar
25g
Rendered pork fat (approximately 100g used)
1000g
MSG
2g
Cooking wine
5g
Instructions
1
Prepare the turtle
Slaughter and clean the turtle. Blanch in boiling water for 2 minutes, then remove the black skin, shell, and internal organs. Detach the turtle skirt and cut the turtle into 3 cm cubes.
2
Prepare the winter melon
Peel the winter melon, scoop out the inner pulp, and shape it into 28 winter melon balls the size of lychees.
3
Blanch in oil and stir-fry
Heat a wok over high heat. Add the rendered pork fat and heat to about 60% hot. First add the turtle pieces to blanch in the oil, drain off the oil, stir-fry briefly, then add the winter melon balls and stir-fry together. Add 150g chicken broth and 5g fine salt. Transfer to a wok over low heat for 15 minutes, then set aside.
4
Steam to finish
Line the bottom of a bowl with the turtle skirt, then arrange the braised turtle meat and eggs on top. Add ginger, scallions, fine salt, cooking wine, white vinegar, and chicken broth. Steam until the skirt edge is soft and sticky and the meat is tender. Remove the scallions and ginger, add MSG, invert onto a soup bowl, and arrange the winter melon balls around it.
