Flower-stuffed Sea Cucumbers

Fish and Seafood

Flower-stuffed Sea Cucumbers
Ingredients:
2 fresh sea cucumbers, soaked in warm water for half an hour; or dried ones soaked overnight, then drained
2 Tablespoons cornstarch, divided
4 large Chinese black mushrooms, soaked for half an hour in warm water, every stem discarded, then mince two of them
1 banana blossom, half minced, the other half sliced, or a small red pepper, seeded and slivered and the minced half dusted with corn starch
1/4 pound finely minced or ground pork
1/4 pound fish paste or any minced white boneless ad skinless fish
3 water chestnuts, finely minced
1 Tablespoon chicken broth powder
½ teaspoon mixed salt and ground pepper
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
4 cloves fresh garlic, peeled and sliced
4 slices fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
1 cup chicken broth
1 Tablespoon oyster sauce
Preparation>
1. Remove innards from sea cucumbers, and dust them with half of the cornstarch.
2. Mix minced black mushrooms, mince the banana blossom and dust it with the other half of the corn starch, then add the minced pork, fish paste, minced water chestnuts, chicken broth powder, salt and ground pepper, and divide this mixture in half. Stuff each part into one of the sea cucumbers.
3. Heat vegetable oil in a wok or fry pan, and stir-fry the garlic and ginger for one minute, then add the stuffed sea cucumbers, seam side down, and the chicken broth and the oyster sauce and the two whole black mushrooms, and bring all to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for half an hour or until the sauce thickens. Set the two mushrooms aside.
4. Put each sea cucumber on a serving platter cut each one, slicing it into half to three-quarters of an inch slices and gently move them apart. Then sprinkle the sliced banana blossoms over them and put one mushroom on each sea cucumber and spoon the sauce on top. Then serve.

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