Ingredients
500 g (about 1 lb) chicken broth and 500 g (about 1 lb) water, 2 water-soaked sea cucumbers, 15 g goji berries, 12 pigeon eggs.
Seasonings
1500 g (about 3.3 lbs) peanut oil, 3 g salt, 10 g each of cooking wine, ginger, and oil, 1 g each of MSG and scallion, 2 g white pepper, 150 g (about 5.3 oz) lard, 30 g (about 1 oz) cornstarch.
Instructions
1. Clean the inner walls of the rehydrated sea cucumbers, blanch them twice in broth, then use the tip of a knife to score a diamond pattern on the inner walls without cutting through; place the pigeon eggs in a pot of cold water, cook over low heat until done, remove and soak in cold water, then peel off the shells; cut the scallions into sections and lightly crush the ginger; heat the peanut oil until boiling, roll the pigeon eggs in dried bean starch, then deep-fry them in the oil until golden brown and remove.
2. Heat the wok and add 100 g (about 7 tablespoons) of lard. When the oil is hot, add scallions and ginger, stir-fry briefly, then pour in chicken broth and cook for 3 minutes. Remove and discard the scallions and ginger. Add soy sauce, cooking wine, white pepper, goji berries, and sea cucumber. Bring to a boil, skim off any foam, then reduce to a low simmer and cook for about 10 minutes. Remove the sea cucumber and goji berries and arrange them on a plate. Place the pigeon eggs around the sea cucumber.
3. Add MSG to the sauce, thicken with water and cornstarch slurry, then drizzle in 50 g (about 3 1/2 tablespoons) of boiling lard, and pour the sauce over the sea cucumbers and pigeon eggs. The dish features rich, tender sea cucumbers that are smooth and glossy, while the pigeon eggs are soft and delicate, with a savory, aromatic flavor.