Friday, December 2, 2011

I like to cook fresh sea cucumbers. Do you know a recipe?

I have many of them in sea but I don't know how to cook and prepare them. In my country they don't sell or eat sea cucumber.|||The sea cucumber is a gelatinous creature that is indeed shaped like a cucumber. Like tofu, it is flavorless, but has the ability to soak up the flavors of the foods and seasonings it is cooked with. In Chinese cooking it is used in soups, stir-fries, and certain braised dishes.





Other names for the sea cucumber include beche de me, sea rat and sea slug (the latter is somewhat confusing sinc ethe real sea slug is another animal entirely). The Chinese name for the sea cucumber translates roughly into "sea ginseng" - it's unclear whether this is in recognition of the sea cucumber's reputed aphrodisiacal qualities, or because it is considered to be quite healthful. (It has been used to treat everything from high blood pressure in humans to joint pain in pot-bellied pigs.) It may also have something to do with its slippery feel, as the texture of food weights more heavily in Chinese cuisine than is generally the case in western cooking.





Freshly caught sea cucumber requires an extensive amount of preparation before making the transition from the ocean floor to your dinner plate. The complicated procedure takes place over several days and involves slitting open the belly and removing the guts, as well as washing and boiling the animal several times. Fresh sea cucumber that has already been cleaned and soaked is sometimes available in Asian markets, usually in the cold foods section or in containers of water. Many Asian stores also carry dried sea cucumber, which looks and feels almost exactly like a piece of cement, albeit not as heavy. It also must be soaked for several hours before cooking.|||Bc Candied Sea Cucumber





Ingredients :





1/2 cup sugar


1/4 cup water


8 piece fresh sea cucumber, diced 1" by 1"


2 piece fresh ginger, sliced





Method :


Add all ingredients to a small pot and cook on medium heat for approximately 20 minutes or until mixture has a syrup consistency.


Pull out sea cucumber and reserve on parchment paper until needed for garnish on cobbler.|||Check the Food Network. I watched Iron Chef one night and the main ingredient was sea cucumbers. It was the worse looking stuff I have ever seen. Even gussied up by the chefs, you couldn't pay me to try it and I'm not fussy about food.|||Sea Cucumber in Brown Sauce Recipe


Ingredients : Serves 4-6





2 lbs Sea cucumber, soaked





5 Green onion





5 slices Ginger





6 tablespoons Soy sauce





2 tablespoons Wine





6 tablespoons Oil





1/2 teaspoon Sugar





1 tablespoon Cornstarch, mix with 1 tablespoon cold water





3 1/2 cups Soup stock





1/2 tablespoon Sesame oil





Method :


Clean the soaked sea cucumber, cook with 1 green onion, 3 slices ginger, 1 tablespoon wine and 5 cups of cold water about 20 minutes over low heat.





Discard the water, ginger and onion. To the sea cucumber, add 3 cups soup stock and cook for 10 minutes over low heat again.





Remove and discard stock. Slice each sea cucumber into 4 or 6 larges pieces. Heat 2 tablespoons oil and fry sea cucumber. Add 2 tablespoons soy sauce and cook about 1 minute. Remove and discard the sauce.





Heat 4 tablespoons oil in frying pan, fry 3 green onion, 2 slices ginger and then add sea cucumber. Splash 1 tablespoon wine and 4 tablespoons soy sauce, 1/2 teaspoon sugar and 1/2 cup soup stock, cook for about 3 minutes.





Thicken with cornstarch paste, add sesame oil.





Pour in platter. Serve.

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