Jingsha Braised Turtle
Jingsha Braised Turtle is a classic dish from Jingzhou, Hubei. Turtle slow-cooked with Jingsha bean paste, savory and mildly spicy, tender meat with gelatinous edge, long-lasting flavor.
Ingredients
13 items- Turtle 1 (about 750g)
- Jingsha bean paste 2 tbsp (30g)
- Ginger 15g
- Garlic 6 cloves
- Dried chilies 2
- Star anise 2
- Cooking wine 20ml
- Light soy sauce 1 tbsp (15ml)
- Dark soy sauce 1 tsp (5ml)
- Sugar 1 tsp
- Salt 1/2 tsp
- Vegetable oil 40ml
- Garlic sprouts 2
Nutrition
Steps （8 steps）
Thoroughly clean and kill the turtle. Scald with boiling water, scrape off black membrane, cut open along the edge, remove internal organs and fat, chop into 3-4 cm pieces, and drain well.
Place turtle pieces in a pot with cold water, adding ginger slices, scallion segments, and 20ml cooking wine. Bring to a boil over high heat, skim off foam, cook for 2 minutes. Remove and rinse with warm water, then drain.
Prepare the aromatics: slice ginger, crush garlic, cut dried peppers into sections, and have star anise ready.
Heat oil in a wok over medium heat. Add ginger, garlic, dried peppers, and star anise. Stir-fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Increase heat to high, add turtle pieces and stir-fry until surface turns slightly golden, around 3 minutes. Add cooking wine and continue stirring to remove any fishy smell.
Add Jingsha bean paste and stir-fry until red oil is released. Then add light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and sugar, stirring well to evenly color the turtle pieces.
Pour in hot water enough to submerge the turtle. Add salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and braise for 40 minutes until the meat is tender and the edge becomes translucent.
Turn the heat to high and reduce the sauce until it thickly coats the back of a spoon. Add garlic sprout segments, toss well, and serve immediately.
Tips
Scraping off the black membrane and removing fat effectively eliminates the gamey odor. It is crucial to fry the bean paste until red oil releases for a deep flavor. Reserve a little sauce when reducing for a richer taste.
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