Braised Stuffed Sea Cucumber (Ba Niang Hai Shen)
A classic Shandong delicacy: tender sea cucumber stuffed with succulent shrimp mousse in a glossy, savory sauce. A banquet masterpiece.
Ingredients
16 items- Rehydrated sea cucumber 500g
- Shrimp meat 200g
- Pork fatback 50g
- Egg white 1
- Ginger-scallion water 2 tbsp
- Shaoxing wine 1 tbsp
- Salt 1 tsp
- White pepper 1/4 tsp
- Cornstarch 2 tbsp
- Broth 200 ml
- Oyster sauce 1 tbsp
- Dark soy sauce 1 tsp
- Sugar 1/2 tsp
- Vegetable oil 2 tbsp
- Ginger slices 3 slices
- Scallion sections 2 sections
Nutrition
Steps （6 steps）
Prepare sea cucumbers: cut each open along the belly, remove innards and sand sac. Rinse thoroughly. Marinate with ginger-scallion water and Shaoxing wine for 10 minutes. Blanch in boiling water for 1 minute, drain.
Make stuffing: finely mince shrimp and pork fatback together. Transfer to a bowl, add egg white, 1/2 tsp salt, white pepper, 1 tbsp cornstarch, and 1 tbsp ginger-scallion water. Stir in one direction for 3 minutes until sticky and firm.
Stuff sea cucumbers: fill each sea cucumber cavity with the shrimp paste, pressing firmly. Smooth the surface and coat the opening with cornstarch to seal, preventing the filling from falling out during frying.
Pan-fry: heat vegetable oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat until shimmering (~160°C). Place sea cucumbers stuffed-side down, cook 2 minutes until golden brown. Flip and cook another 1 minute. Set aside.
Braise: leave a little oil in the skillet, sauté ginger slices and scallion sections until fragrant. Add broth, oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, and remaining salt. Bring to a boil, return sea cucumbers to pan, reduce to low heat, cover and simmer 10 minutes, turning once halfway.
Thicken sauce: transfer sea cucumbers to a serving plate. Bring the remaining sauce to a boil over high heat. Stir in cornstarch slurry (1 tbsp cornstarch + 2 tbsp water) and stir until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Pour over the sea cucumbers and serve.
Tips
Choose high-quality sea cucumbers with thick flesh and firm spines. Always stir the stuffing in one direction to achieve a bouncy texture. Braise over low heat to allow flavors to penetrate. The sauce should be glossy but not too thick, like light porridge.
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