蔥燒海參

材料：

• 已泡發海參： 2 至 3 條

• 大蔥： 2 根（只取蔥白和淺綠部分，切成約 5 公分長的蔥段）

• 生薑： 3 片

• 食用油： 2 至 3 湯匙（傳統做法會加入少許豬油以增加香氣）

• 調味料：

  • 清雞湯：1 杯（約 240 毫升）

  • 生抽：1 湯匙

  • 老抽：半湯匙（主要用於上色）

  • 蠔油：1 湯匙

  • 紹興酒：1 湯匙

  • 冰糖 或 白砂糖：1 茶匙

  • 白胡椒粉：少許

• 勾芡用：

  • 生粉水（1 湯匙生粉 + 2 湯匙清水拌勻）

做法：

1. 汆水去腥： 燒滾一鍋水，加入一片薑和少許紹興酒。將海參放入汆燙約 2 分鐘去腥。撈起瀝乾水分，切成大小適中的塊狀備用。

2. 慢火炸蔥油： 炒鍋中倒入食用油，用中小火慢慢煎炸大蔥段。耐心將蔥段煎至表面呈現焦糖般的金黃色，並散發出濃郁的蔥香味。將炸好的大蔥段撈起備用，把提煉好的「蔥油」留在鍋中。

3. 調製紅燒汁： 在留有蔥油的鍋中，倒入清雞湯、生抽、老抽、蠔油、紹興酒、糖和白胡椒粉，開大火將醬汁煮滾。

4. 煨煮入味： 將切好的海參塊放入滾沸的醬汁中。轉小火，蓋上鍋蓋，慢火煨煮 10 至 15 分鐘。這一步能讓海參的膠質充分吸附湯汁的鮮鹹與蔥香。

5. 勾芡收汁： 打開鍋蓋，轉中大火，將剛剛炸好的蔥段倒回鍋中。慢慢分次加入生粉水勾芡，並輕輕推勻，直到醬汁變得濃稠透亮，完美地包裹住每一塊海參即可起鍋裝盤。趁熱享用風味最佳。

Classic Braised Sea Cucumber with Scallions

Ingredients:

• Pre-soaked Sea Cucumber: 2 to 3 medium pieces

• Large Scallions (Spring Onions / Leeks): 4 stalks (Use mainly the thick white and light green parts, cut into 2-inch lengths)

• Ginger: 3 slices

• Cooking Oil: 2 to 3 tbsp (Traditional recipes often use a mix of oil and lard for extra richness)

• For the Braising Sauce:

  • High-quality chicken broth: 1 cup (approx. 240ml)

  • Light soy sauce: 1 tbsp

  • Dark soy sauce: 1/2 tbsp (primarily for a rich caramel color)

  • Oyster sauce: 1 tbsp

  • Shaoxing cooking wine: 1 tbsp

  • Sugar (or rock sugar): 1 tsp

  • White pepper: A pinch

• Thickener:

  • Cornstarch slurry (1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp water)

Instructions:

1. Prep and Blanch: Bring a pot of water to a boil with a slice of ginger and a splash of Shaoxing wine. Add the sea cucumbers and blanch for 2 minutes to remove any residual ocean odor. Drain, pat dry, and cut them into large, bite-sized pieces.

2. Make the Scallion Oil: Heat the cooking oil in a wok or deep skillet over medium-low heat. Add the scallion pieces and fry them slowly. You want to caramelize them until they are deeply golden brown and slightly blistered, releasing their essential oils into the cooking fat. Carefully remove the fried scallions and set them aside, leaving the fragrant oil in the wok.

3. Build the Sauce: To the scallion oil in the wok, add the chicken broth, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, Shaoxing wine, sugar, and white pepper. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil.

4. Braise: Add the blanched sea cucumber pieces to the sauce. Turn the heat down to low, cover the wok, and let it simmer gently for 10 to 15 minutes. This slow cooking allows the gelatinous sea cucumber to fully absorb the savory and aromatic liquids.

5. Thicken and Gloss: Remove the lid and turn the heat up slightly. Return the fried scallions to the wok. Slowly stir in the cornstarch slurry a little at a time until the sauce becomes thick, glossy, and coats the sea cucumber beautifully. Serve immediately while hot.