Stuffed Bitter Melon

• servings: 6 servings
• active time: 2 hours
• total time: 2 hours 25 minutes

Ingredients

3 medium dried shiitake mushrooms (reconstituted)

12 ounces ground pork

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 tablespoon oyster sauce

1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine

1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon white pepper

1 1/2 pounds Chinese bitter melon (1 1/2 pounds or 680g = about 2 medium bitter melons)

8 cups water

1 tablespoon baking soda

2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch (divided)

2 tablespoons neutral oil

1 teaspoon ginger (minced)

3 cloves garlic (minced)

3 tablespoons whole fermented Black Beans

1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine

1 1/2 cups chicken stock (you can also use some of the shiitake mushroom soaking liquid)

1 tablespoon oyster sauce

1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

2 teaspoons light soy sauce

3/4 teaspoon dark soy sauce

Directions

If soaking shiitake mushrooms overnight, you can start in cold water. Place a small bowl or plate on top of the mushrooms to keep them submerged. To soak them faster, start with hot water, and soak for 2 hours until reconstituted. Squeeze any excess moisture off the of the mushrooms, trim away the stems if they’re touch, and finely chop them. You should have about 1/3 cup.

Add the mushrooms and ground pork to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a mixing bowl. Add the cornstarch, oyster sauce, Shaoxing wine, sugar, sesame oil, salt, and white pepper. Turn the mixer on low speed for 3 minutes, or mix with a pair of chopsticks vigorously for 5 minutes, until the mixture starts to have a paste-like consistency.

Bring 8 cups of water to a boil with 1 tablespoon baking soda. Slice the bitter melon into rings about 3/4 inch thick. Scoop out the centers of the bitter melon with a small spoon or paring knife. I like to cut the middle out with the paring knife and then scrape the remaining pith with a spoon. Blanch the bitter melon rings in the water for 1 minute, and then transfer to an ice bath.

Add 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch to a shallow dish. Sprinkle a little cornstarch on the inside of each bitter melon ring, which will help the filling stick to the inside. Use a butter knife to fill the bitter melon rings with the filling, flattening the filling so it’s flush with the melon slice and the meat overlaps slightly with the outer ring of the bitter melon (this will keep the filling from falling out).

Heat a wok or or cast iron pan over medium-high heat until lightly smoking (or heat a non-stick pan over medium-high heat). Add 2 tablespoons of neutral oil. Add the bitter melon pieces, and fry until golden on each side, about 2-3 minutes per side. Remove from the pan and set aside.

To the oil left in the wok, add the ginger, garlic, and fermented black beans. Cook for 30 seconds, and then add the Shaoxing wine. Cook for another 30 seconds, and then add the stock, oyster sauce, sugar, light soy sauce, and dark soy sauce. Bring to a simmer. Once simmering, add the bitter melon pieces back to the wok, cover, and simmer for 4-5 minutes to cook the meat through (cook for 5 minutes if you like your bitter melon more tender). Mix the remaining 1 tablespoon cornstarch into a slurry with 1 tablespoon water, and add to the simmering sauce to thicken. Simmer until the sauce is glossy and coats the bitter melon pieces.

Plate the bitter melon and pour the sauce over the top. Serve!

Nutrition

• Calories: 283 kcal
• Total Fat: 19 g
• Saturated Fat: 5 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
• Trans Fat: 0.02 g
• Cholesterol: 41 mg
• Sodium: 934 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 14 g
• Dietary Fiber: 4 g
• Total Sugars: 2 g
• Protein: 15 g