Ingredients
1 winter melon, 50 g (about 1.75 oz) shiitake mushrooms, 150 g (about 5 oz) squid, 500 g (about 1 lb) lean pork, 1000 g (about 4 cups) meat broth, and vermicelli and dried shrimp to taste.
Seasonings
Salt and MSG to taste.
Instructions
1. Remove the fuzz from the winter melon and wash it clean. Cut off the top about 8 cm (3 inches) from the stem end to create a lid, then scoop out the flesh and seeds from the inside.
2. Place the cleaned winter melon in a ceramic bowl, then add the shiitake mushrooms, squid, lean meat, and vermicelli into the winter melon cavity. Steam over low heat for 50 minutes. Once removed from heat, season with salt and MSG to taste before serving. This dish has a grassy green color and is refreshingly cooling, perfect for relieving summer heat.