Braised Sea Cucumber

Name: Braised Sea Cucumber
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 1 serving
Ingredients: 200 g sea cucumber; 3 spring onions; 4 slices fresh ginger; 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine; 150 ml chicken stock; 2 tsp oyster sauce; 1 tsp light soy sauce; 0.5 tsp dark soy sauce; 1 tsp caster sugar; 1 tsp cornflour; 2 tsp water; 1 tbsp groundnut oil; 0.5 tsp sesame oil; 1 pinch white pepper

A Shandong classic: soft, gelatinous sea cucumber braised with sweet spring onions in a glossy dark stock sauce. Rich, savoury and famously prized, it is served in small portions with plain rice.

Lunch & dinner 25g+ protein 8g+ fibre

50 min20 prep · 30 cookMedium592 kcalper serving

Method

Start from properly rehydrated sea cucumber: if yours is dried, cover it generously with cold water and refrigerate for 3 days, changing the water twice a day and never letting oil touch it, then simmer it for 30 minutes and leave it to cool in its water until it has swelled and is springy. You need 200 g of rehydrated sea cucumber.
Slit each sea cucumber along the belly, pull away any remaining innards and the ring of hard grit at the mouth end, and rinse well under cold running water. Cut on the diagonal into thick pieces about 4 cm long.
Bring a small pan of water to a simmer with 4 slices of ginger and 1 tbsp of Shaoxing wine, slip in the sea cucumber and blanch for 2 minutes to drive off any brininess. Drain and pat dry.