SEA CUCUMBERS EMBRACED WITH GEMS

(From Y3K Recipes Issue No.10 – Jan/ Feb 2003)

Copyright of Y Three K Publisher. All rights reserved.

Ingredients:
1 dozen goose webbed feet (chop off claws)
1 kg pre-soaked/ cleaned, good quality sea cucumbers (sand fish)
1 whole floret of broccoli
3 slices cekor (sar keong)
1 tbsp Szechuan peppercorns
4 star anise/ bunga lawang
1 piece cinnamon bark/ kayu manis
A pot of water
1/2 bowl oil (see method, step 3)
1 tbsp sugar

Seasoning:
1 tbsp oyster sauce
A little salt
A little MSG/ Aji-no-moto
A little dark soy sauce
1 tbsp fragrant oil (see tips 3)

For thickening: mix well
1 tbsp tapioca flour or cornflour
1 tbsp water

Method:
1. Make a bouquet garni. Use a small piece of cheesecloth, put in cekor, peppercorns, star anise, cinnamon bark and tie it with a string. Place this small bag of flavouring in a pot of water and boil on high heat for 1/2 hour. Add in a little salt and rock sugar to taste. Pour boiled solution into a big soup bowl, keep aside to cool.
2. Parboil goose webbed feet, remove and rinse it in cold water. Remove and drain.
3. Heat up 1/2 bowl oil, add in 1 tbsp sugar and stir over low heat till it turns bubbly and is a golden hue. Add in goose webbed feet and stir well. Remove and put into no.(1). Place all into a pot and boil over high heat for 2 hours or more till the feet are tender enough for the palate.
4. Heat oil and stir fry sea cucumbers. Add in Chinese cooking wine, then seasoning. Simmer over low heat for 1/2 hour till sea cucumbers are edible.
5. Add in no.(3), thickening and doused with two tbsp fragrant oil.

Tips:
1. To caramel sugar, the oil must not be too hot and you must not burn the sugar.
2. You may replace goose webbed feet with normal chicken feet. The preparation is the same.
3. To make fragrant oil: Put 50g minced garlic, 50g minced shallots, a whole plant of Chinese coriander including the roots into 500ml of oil in a wok.Cook over low heat till it is bubbly and golden in colour.