Winter Melon Orchid Delight
A traditional Zhejiang-style presentation dish in which winter melon is carved into white orchid shapes and filled with a shrimp paste, served alongside ham rolled into floral forms. It is valued for its elegant appearance, refined coloring, and light, fresh flavor.
Ingredients
Net winter melon (peeled, deseeded, cut into 6 cm long, 2 cm wide strips, then sliced into orchid shapes, about 75 pieces)
1000 g
Marinated shrimp meat (minced, embedded in the center of each orchid)
75 g
Cooked ham (sliced thin, rolled into flower shapes)
25 g
Egg floss (as flower center)
1 g
Wet starch (for thickening)
25 g
Cooked lard (for blanching the winter melon orchids and ham flowers)
1000 g (approx. 50 g used)
Refined salt
1.5 g
MSG (monosodium glutamate)
1 g
Clear broth
150 g
Instructions
1
Make Winter Melon Orchids
Peel the winter melon, remove the pulp, cut into strips 6 cm long and 2 cm wide, then slice into orchid flower shapes, about 75 pieces total.
2
Add Shrimp Filling
Mince the shrimp meat into a paste and embed a portion into the center of each orchid.
3
Make Ham Flowers
Slice the ham into thin pieces, drop each into the wok one by one, cook gently until tender, then drain in a colander and roll each piece into a flower shape with a pinch of egg floss in the center as the flower heart.
4
Blanch the Orchids
Heat lard in a wok to about 20% hot (around 44°C), add the orchids one by one, cook gently until tender, and drain in a colander.
5
Simmer
Return the orchids to the wok, add the clear broth, 1.5 g refined salt, and 1 g MSG, and simmer briefly.
6
Plate
First arrange the winter melon orchids on the plate in three layers, placing the rolled ham flowers in the middle of the winter melon orchids.
7
Thicken and Finish
Add wet starch to the broth in the wok to make a glassy sauce, pour it over the orchids, sprinkle with minced ham, and serve.
