Ingredients
300 g (about 10.5 oz) alkali-reconstituted dried squid, 50 g (about 1.75 oz) fish fillet, 50 g (about 1.75 oz) pork fatback, 10 g (about 0.35 oz) egg yolk, 10 g (about 0.35 oz) egg white, 10 g (about 0.35 oz) cherries, 10 g (about 0.35 oz) kelp, 10 g (about 0.35 oz) hair seaweed, 25 g (about 0.9 oz) green cabbage stalk, 750 g (about 3 cups) clear broth.
Seasonings
25 g cooking wine, 3 g white pepper, 4 g salt, 30 g egg white, 20 g cornstarch, 0.5 g MSG, and 15 g each of scallion and ginger.
Instructions
1. Soak the alkali-reconstituted squid slices in boiling water to remove the alkaline taste, drain, and place in a pot with broth, cooking wine, and white pepper; cook until tender, then remove and let cool. Using a peach-shaped mold, press the squid slices into peach shapes and pat dry. Remove the skin from the fish and separately pound the fish meat and pork fatback into fine pastes with the back of a knife, removing any fine bones and membranes, then mince once more with the blade and place each in a bowl. Smash the scallions and ginger with the flat side of a knife and soak them in water.
2. Mix the fish paste with water infused with scallion and ginger to form a slurry, then add salt, pepper, Shaoxing wine, and ground pork, stirring vigorously in one direction. Incorporate egg whites and wet cornstarch slurry, stirring until glossy to create the fish mousse. Beat the egg yolks and cook into thin omelets, then cut into fine shreds. Cut the cherries into small wedges. Blanch the cabbage stalks; cut half into thin diamond-shaped slices and the other half into short shreds. Cut the thin kelp into fine shreds about 1 cm long. Mix egg whites with dry cornstarch to form an egg white starch paste.
3. Spread the egg white and bean starch mixture over the peach-shaped squid slices, then shape the fish paste into small balls and place one on each squid slice. Arrange five strips of egg skin neatly on the pointed end as tentacles. Take one piece of kelp thread, fold it neatly, and insert it at the opposite end as a ribbon.
4. Press cherries onto the surface to form flower shapes. Arrange the shredded cabbage stems vertically beneath the flowers as stems. Place two small diamond-shaped cabbage pieces on either side of the stems as leaves, and put a small amount of hair moss at the base of the stems to represent soil. Repeat this process for all pieces, arrange them on a plate, steam until cooked, then remove and keep warm. In a wok, bring specially prepared clear broth to a boil, season with salt, white pepper, Shaoxing wine, and MSG to taste. Arrange the steamed stuffed squid pouches in a soup bowl, pour the hot clear broth over them, and serve. This dish is beautifully shaped and colorful, with a clear, flavorful broth and tender, silky texture.