Winter Melon Cup
A whole winter melon hollowed, filled with luxurious ingredients and steamed. The broth is clear and savory, the melon tender — a classic Cantonese banquet dish.
Ingredients
12 items- winter melon 1 (2–3kg)
- dried scallops (conpoy) 10 pieces
- shrimp (peeled) 100g
- chicken thigh 100g
- dried shiitake mushrooms 2 caps
- ginger 3 slices
- scallions 2 stalks
- chicken stock 500ml
- Shaoxing wine 1 tbsp
- light soy sauce 1 tsp
- salt to taste
- white pepper a pinch
Nutrition
Steps （8 steps）
Wash winter melon, cut off top 1/5 as lid. Using a small knife, scoop out seeds and some flesh, leaving a 2 cm thick wall. Blanch shell and lid in boiling water 1 min, then drain.
Soak dried scallops in warm water 30 min until soft, then shred; soak shiitake, destem and dice; dice chicken thigh and shrimp.
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok over medium heat. Add ginger slices and stir-fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add diced chicken and stir-fry over medium heat until pale (about 2 min). Then add shrimp, shiitake and scallop shreds; stir-fry together.
Pour in 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine along the wok edge, add 1 tsp light soy sauce, a pinch of salt and white pepper. Stir-fry 1 min until aromatic. Remove from heat.
Fill the melon with the mixture, pressing down lightly. Pour in hot chicken stock to 80% full. Add scallion knot, cover with melon lid.
Place melon in a deep steaming bowl. Steam over high heat then turn to medium-low for 1.5 hours, until melon is translucent and easily pierced with chopsticks.
Remove melon cup from steamer, discard scallion knot. Adjust salt if needed. Sprinkle with chopped scallion. Serve hot; scoop out melon flesh and filling with a spoon.
Tips
Choose a mature, firm melon to maintain shape during steaming. Cook the filling only until 80% done so it releases flavor during steaming. Wait until the end to salt, as stock and fillings have natural umami. Adjust steaming time based on melon size; it's done when chopsticks slide through easily.
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