Ingredients
450 g (about 1 lb) soft-shell turtle, 40 g (about 1.4 oz) pork hock meat, 30 g (about 1 oz) each of fatty and lean pork and boneless chicken, 20 g (about 0.7 oz) each of water-soaked sea cucumber, dried shiitake mushrooms, dried scallops, yellow egg cake, and lotus seeds, 15 g (about 0.5 oz) each of water-soaked glutinous rice and bamboo shoots, and 150 g (about 2/3 cup) clear broth.
Seasonings
60 g wet starch, 15 g Shaoxing wine, 15 g shredded ginger, 15 g Sichuan peppercorns, 10 g scallion segments, 5 g salt.
Instructions
1.Place the live softshell turtle on its back with its belly facing up; when it extends its head, quickly chop it off with a knife, lift the turtle to drain the blood, then blanch it briefly in boiling water before transferring to cold water; scrape off the black skin, remove the shell, discard the internal organs, chop off the sharp claws, rinse thoroughly under clean water, and place the turtle in a large pot.
2. Dice the sea cucumber, pork, egg cake, winter bamboo shoots, and shiitake mushrooms into 0.6 cm cubes, then place them together with the dried scallops, lotus seeds, and glutinous rice inside the turtle's chest cavity. Pour in a mixture of salt, Shaoxing wine, clear broth, and the turtle's gall bladder, then layer the ginger shreds on top, middle, and bottom of the eight-treasure filling. Cover with the turtle shell, place the pork hock on top of the turtle, and arrange the ginger slices, Sichuan peppercorns, and scallion segments on the shell.
3. Place the turtle in a bowl and steam in a bamboo steamer over boiling water over high heat for 3 to 4 hours. Remove, discard the chicken and pork elbow, and pick out the scallion sections and ginger slices. Pour the turtle's cooking liquid into a wok or pot, bring to a boil over high heat, thicken with a slurry of cornstarch and water, then pour the sauce over the turtle and serve.