Golden Pigeon with Winter Melon
I used Cornish Game Hens, but you could also use a cut up chicken. If you can't get winter melon, watermelon will work. Winter melon is white, very mild tasting and a tad denser than watermelon. I think you could get away using something like Honeydew too.
Yield
12 servingsPrep
30 minCook
50 minReady
80 minIngredients
| Amount | Measure | Ingredient | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| 600 | grams |
winter melon
|
* |
| 12 | each |
chinese ham
slices, 0.5 cm thick |
* |
| 2 | each |
pigeon
young, approx 500 g each, or a 1 kg chicken |
* |
| 4 | each |
ginger root
slices |
*
|
| 4 | each |
shallots
white parts |
*
|
| 1 | x |
vegetable oil
|
*
|
| marinade | |||
| ½ | cup |
soy sauce, light
|
|
| ⅛ | cup |
soy sauce, dark
|
*
|
| Stewing seasoning | |||
| 1 | teaspoon |
oyster sauce
|
*
|
| 1 ½ | teaspoons |
salt
|
|
| ¼ | teaspoon |
sugar
|
|
| 4 | cups |
stock
|
|
| sauce | |||
| 1 | cup |
stock
|
|
| 1 ½ | tablespoons |
cornstarch
mixed well with 2 tbs water |
|
| Garnish (optional) | |||
| 10 | each |
chives
flowering sprigs |
*
|
Ingredients
| Amount | Measure | Ingredient | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6E+2 | grams |
winter melon
|
* |
| 12 | each |
chinese ham
slices, 0.5 cm thick |
* |
| 2 | each |
pigeon
young, approx 500 g each, or a 1 kg chicken |
* |
| 4 | each |
ginger root
slices |
*
|
| 4 | each |
shallots
white parts |
*
|
| 1 | x |
vegetable oil
|
*
|
| marinade | |||
| 118 | ml |
soy sauce, light
|
|
| 3E+1 | ml |
soy sauce, dark
|
*
|
| Stewing seasoning | |||
| 5 | ml |
oyster sauce
|
*
|
| 7.5 | ml |
salt
|
|
| 1.3 | ml |
sugar
|
|
| 946 | ml |
stock
|
|
| sauce | |||
| 237 | ml |
stock
|
|
| 23 | ml |
cornstarch
mixed well with 2 tbs water |
|
| Garnish (optional) | |||
| 1E+1 | each |
chives
flowering sprigs |
*
|
Directions
Mix the marinade and coat pigeons with it for 2 to 3 minutes.
Remove skin of winter melon and cut 12 slices about 5 cms.
Make a slit sideways on the longest side of each piece and insert one ham slice.
Deep-fry pigeons over a medium flame until golden.
Heat the wok or pot, add 1 tablespoon oil. When it is very hot, stir- fry ginger and shallots for 1 minute.
Then add above stewing seasoning ingredients and pigeons, cover and braise over a slow flame for 20 to 25 minutes.
Remove pigeons.
Reserve 1 cup of the pigeon braising stock, to make sauce later.
Double the remaining braising stock's liquid volume by adding water, then immerse winter melon slices.
Cook for 5 minutes, then turn off heat.
Cover wok, leave winter melon slices for a further 5 minutes (thus ensuring they do not lose their shape through excess direct cooking).
Mix sauce ingredients with reserved cup of pigeon braising Cut pigeons into pieces and arrange across serving dish. Place 6 overlapping winter melon slices on each side of pigeons. Pour sauce over, and garnish with flowering chives.
