Braised Winter Melon with Fish Balls
ID: 47256942...
This is a light and nutritious home-cooked dish, perfect for summer. It combines bouncy, flavorful dace fish balls with soft, absorbent winter melon, plus wood ear mushrooms for a refreshing crunch. Simple to braise, the result is a dish with a savory, sweet sauce that pairs perfectly with rice.
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🍳 Cooking Flow
Soak and clean the wood ear mushrooms, peel and deseed the winter melon then cut into thick chunks, halve the fish balls, mince the ginger and garlic, and cut the scallions into sections. → Sauté ginger and garlic in an oiled pan until fragrant, stir-fry the fish balls for about half a minute, then add the winter melon chunks and stir-fry over high heat for one minute; drizzle in rice wine to remove any fishy odor. → Add boiling water until it reaches the level of the winter melon along with the wood ear mushrooms. Season with salt, sugar, matsutake mushroom powder (or mushroom bouillon), white pepper, oyster sauce, and dried shrimp. Cover and braise over medium heat for 8 minutes. → Remove the lid, drizzle in water starch (cornstarch slurry) to thicken the sauce slightly, add the scallions and a drizzle of oil, toss well, and serve.
Cooking Steps
Brief Cooking Order
Soak and clean the wood ear mushrooms, peel and deseed the winter melon then cut into thick chunks, halve the fish balls, mince the ginger and garlic, and cut the scallions into sections. → Sauté ginger and garlic in an oiled pan until fragrant, stir-fry the fish balls for about half a minute, then add the winter melon chunks and stir-fry over high heat for one minute; drizzle in rice wine to remove any fishy odor. → Add boiling water until it reaches the level of the winter melon along with the wood ear mushrooms. Season with salt, sugar, matsutake mushroom powder (or mushroom bouillon), white pepper, oyster sauce, and dried shrimp. Cover and braise over medium heat for 8 minutes. → Remove the lid, drizzle in water starch (cornstarch slurry) to thicken the sauce slightly, add the scallions and a drizzle of oil, toss well, and serve.
Introduction
This is a light and nutritious home-cooked dish, perfect for summer. It combines bouncy, flavorful dace fish balls with soft, absorbent winter melon, plus wood ear mushrooms for a refreshing crunch. Simple to braise, the result is a dish with a savory, sweet sauce that pairs perfectly with rice.
Step 1
Place the wood ear mushrooms into a bowl, add water, and soak until rehydrated.
Step 2
Peel the winter melon, wash it, cut into large thick slices, remove the excess pith/seeds, and cut into uniform, thick small chunks.
Step 3
Cut the larger dace fish balls in half to help them absorb flavor and make them easier to eat.
Step 4
Crush the garlic cloves with a knife and mince; mince the ginger; cut the scallions into 3 to 4 cm sections.
Step 5
Trim the tough woody stems off the rehydrated mushrooms, tear large pieces into smaller ones, wash thoroughly, and drain.
Ingredients List
Important Notes
💡 Do not cut the winter melon chunks too thin; keeping them slightly thick ensures they don't fall apart during braising, resulting in a better texture.
⚠️ Always use boiling water (hot water) when braising. Adding cold water will cause the fish balls to tighten and turn tough, and will lower the pan temperature, slowing the softening of the winter melon.
💡 Dried shrimp add a savory umami boost, but you can also use small dried shrimp (ebi) if available, or simply omit them.
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