Braised Sea Cucumber with Flower Mushroom and Winter Bamboo Shoot

Why people make this dish

Some people are so delicate that even a little tonic food leaves them with mouth ulcers, restless sleep or an upset stomach — what the old folks call “too weak to take a tonic.” Sea cucumber is prized precisely because it nourishes gently: it is considered a yin-and-yang balancing food that builds up the body without being heating, so it suits all four seasons. Nourilo likes that this braise tastes good and feels kind to the whole family, young and old.

Method

1. Cut the sea cucumber into chunks and blanch it. Soak the flower mushrooms until soft. Husk the bamboo shoot, blanch, then slice.
2. Heat oil and fry the minced ginger until fragrant. Add the sea cucumber, mushrooms and bamboo shoot.
3. Splash in cooking wine, add the stock and seasoning, and simmer for about half an hour until the sauce reduces. Plate and serve.

Nourilo’s Tips

This is a tasty home-style dish, and it is traditionally regarded as friendly to people watching blood pressure or blood sugar. Sea cucumber has little flavor of its own, so simmering it in good stock is what makes it shine.