Text Susan Jung / Photography Jonathan Wong / Styling Nellie Ming Lee
I grew up eating delicious meals cooked by my parents and grandparents. When I left home to go to university, I missed their food, so I learned to cook many of their dishes myself.
Winter melon soup is something that my Ah Mah (paternal grandmother) made frequently. As she was cooking for about 20 people at a time, her presentation was a lot simpler than the way we've photographed it. She put all the ingredients, including the winter melon (rind removed and the flesh cut into large cubes) into a pot and simmered everything together. I learned this banquet style of winter melon soup from Kwok, a friend in New York. The ingredients are the same but it looks a lot nicer.
Winter melon, despite the name, isn't a winter squash. The waxy coating on the exterior is said (by those with vivid imaginations) to look like frost - hence the name. Another reason is that the squash is considered to have a cooling effect on the body.
Of course, this delicious soup can be served at any time of the year. It's essential, though, that you use good quality, home-made stock.
To get a winter melon that will serve six to eight people, you'll probably need to order one in advance from your vegetable vendor. You'll need a wok with a high-domed lid, plus a low rack to fit into the wok.
If you can't find night-fragrant buds (also known as night jasmine or tonkin jasmine), mince a few spring onions, rinse them with cold water and scatter them over the soup just before you serve it.
Heat the chicken stock until warm, then add the conpoy and dried mushrooms and leave to soak for about 30 minutes, or until the mushrooms are soft. Break the conpoy into shreds. Remove and discard the mushroom stems, then cut the caps into 5mm dice.
Cut off the top of the melon in a deep zig-zag pattern to expose the flesh. Scoop out the seeds and soft pulp from the cavity. Use a spoon to carefully scoop out some of the flesh to enlarge the cavity, taking care not to remove too much or the shell won't be sturdy enough and might collapse when you steam it. The shell should be about 1cm thick.
Julienne the Chinese ham against the grain and put it into the cavity of the melon. Add the mushrooms, conpoy, kei ji and the scooped-out melon flesh. Put the winter melon in a shallow, heatproof bowl. (If needed, trim off a fine shaving from the bottom of the melon so it can sit flat.) Place the bowl containing the squash on a round rack with low feet (about 2.5cm high) in a wok. Add boiling water to the wok so it reaches the level of the rack. Heat the chicken stock until simmering then pour it into the melon until it almost reaches the top. Cover the wok with the lid and steam it over a medium-high flame until the winter melon shell is tender, adding water to the wok as needed. Don't overcook it or the squash might collapse. Cut the scallops and shrimps in half lengthwise and put them and the night-fragrant buds into the melon and steam for a few more minutes, or until the seafood is just cooked. Taste the broth and season with salt, if needed. Serve immediately. After ladling the soup and the solid ingredients into bowls, the flesh of the winter melon "tureen" can be scooped out and served.
This is my mother's recipe.
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Cut the chicken wings at the joint. In a medium-sized bowl, stir together the soy sauce, water and sugar, until the sugar is dissolved. Mix in the garlic and ginger.
Pour cooking oil into a skillet to the depth of about 3cm. Place the skillet over a medium flame and heat it until the oil reaches 180 degrees. Dredge the chicken pieces in the cornstarch, shake off the excess, then fry the pieces in the oil until done, turning them over as needed so they cook evenly. Cook the chicken in batches; do not crowd the skillet. Drain the cooked chicken on paper towels and while they are still hot dip the pieces in the soy sauce mixture, turning them over so they're evenly coated. Place the chicken on a baking tray just large enough to hold the pieces in one layer.
When all the chicken has been cooked and coated, drizzle the excess soy sauce mixture over the pieces in the baking tray. Bake at 180 degrees for about five minutes or until the soy sauce mixture has dried out slightly. Shred the lettuce leaves, place them on a serving plate and put the chicken wings on top.
This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: Thanks for the memories
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