Turtle Casserole

Unusual Ingredients

Turtle Casserole
Ingredients:
2 to 3 small turtles, each about half a pound, internal organs removed
1 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons corn oil
12 Chinese mushrooms, soaked for half an hour, their stems removed, drained, reserving one cup of mushroom water
½ pound roasted pork belly, cut into one-inch cubes
6 slices fresh ginger
6 cloves garlic, peeled and each one cut into quarters
2 squares red bean curd, mashed
1 Tablespoon mushroom soy sauce
1 Tablespoon Chinese rice wine
½ teaspoon Chinese black vinegar
2 sticks bean curd, soaked, and cut into two-inch pieces
1 to 2 Tablespoons cornstarch in an equal amount of cold water
Preparation:
1. Prepare turtles, as in first step of the turtle soup. After draining and drying them, rub them with the salt.
2. Heat oil in the bottom of a heavy casserole and fry mushrooms and pork belly for two minutes. Then add ginger and garlic and fry another minute before adding red bean curd mash, and frying one minute more.
3. Add turtle, soy sauce, rice wine, and vinegar, and two cups of boiling water, mix well, and simmer for two hours.
4. Next, add bean curd stick pieces and simmer another twenty minutes.
5. Thicken with some or all of the cornstarch water and boil just until thickened, stirring continuously, then serve.

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