Ingredients
250 g (about 1 cup) top-grade clear broth, 200 g (about 3/4 cup) clear broth, 1 dried sea cucumber (about 200 g / 7 oz), 50 g (about 1.75 oz) each of carp meat, egg whites, pork fatback, winter bamboo shoots, and ham, 10 g (about 2 teaspoons) black sesame seeds.
Seasonings
15 g bean starch, 1.5 g white pepper, 5 g salt.
Instructions
1. Soak the sea cucumbers in boiling water until softened, then clean them thoroughly. Place them in a pot with fresh water and simmer for about 25 minutes. Remove and slice into 24 pieces, each about 0.3 cm thick, then trim each piece into a butterfly shape using a knife.
2. Finely mince the carp meat and pork fat, combine in a bowl with 1.5 egg whites, white pepper, salt, and enough water to mix into a smooth fish paste; mix the remaining half egg white with bean starch to form an egg white-starch slurry.
3. Place the butterfly-shaped sea cucumber slices in clear broth with salt and simmer for about 10 minutes, then remove and arrange on a board, pat dry with a clean cloth, evenly spread a mixture of egg white and bean starch paste onto the white side of each slice, shape the fish paste into an olive form and place it in the center of each butterfly slice to create the "butterfly's" body.
4. Cut the winter bamboo shoots into 48 long strips and several short strips, cut the ham into short strips, then use the long bamboo shoot strips as antennae, the ham strips and short bamboo shoot strips as legs or body markings, and black sesame seeds as eyes.
5. Place the prepared "butterfly" shapes on a plate, steam in a steamer for 3 minutes to set, then remove and transfer to a soup bowl. Add premium clear broth, salt, and pepper to the bowl and serve. This dish features beautiful butterfly shapes with a deliciously fresh and flavorful broth.