Chinese

Buddha Jumps Over the Wall

A Fujian banquet soup of dried seafood, Jinhua ham, poultry, pork, and Shaoxing wine slowly steamed in a sealed clay jar. The broth should be deep, clear, gelatin-rich, and fragrant, with each treasured ingredient tender but intact.

▶Watch it madeThe Singapore Women's Weekly · 1:26

Ingredients

• Dried abalone, small2 pieces
• Rehydrated sea cucumber120g
• Dried fish maw20g
• Dried scallops4 pieces
• Dried shiitake mushrooms4 pieces
• Bone-in chicken pieces300g
• Pork ribs200g
• Pork trotter, chopped150g
• Jinhua ham50g
• Quail eggs, hard-boiled and peeled4
• Fresh ginger, sliced6 slices
• Scallions, white parts only3
• Shaoxing wine120ml
• Rock sugar1 tsp
• Fine sea saltto taste
• Water1.8L

Method

1. Soak the dried abalone in cold water for 48 hours in the refrigerator, changing the water twice daily.
2. Soak the dried scallops and dried shiitake mushrooms separately in cold water overnight, reserving their soaking liquid.
3. Soak the dried fish maw in warm water until pliable, then blanch it with 2 slices ginger and a splash of Shaoxing wine for 5 minutes to remove any stale aroma.
4. Rinse the rehydrated sea cucumber, remove any grit, and blanch it for 2 minutes with 2 slices ginger.
5. Blanch the chicken, pork ribs, pork trotter, and Jinhua ham in boiling water for 3 minutes, then rinse well under warm water.
6. Place the blanched chicken, pork ribs, pork trotter, Jinhua ham, scallion whites, remaining ginger, 1.8L water, and the reserved scallop and mushroom soaking liquids into a stockpot.
7. Bring to a boil, skim thoroughly, then simmer gently for 3 hours until the broth is rich and slightly gelatinous.
8. Strain the stock through a fine sieve and discard the solids, keeping the Jinhua ham to slice for the final jar if desired.
9. Put the soaked abalone into a small pot with enough strained stock to cover and simmer gently for 1 hour, until tender but not falling apart.
10. Arrange the abalone, sea cucumber, fish maw, dried scallops, shiitake mushrooms, quail eggs, and sliced Jinhua ham in a small clay jar or deep heatproof ceramic tureen.
11. Pour in enough strained superior stock to cover the ingredients by about 2 cm.
12. Add Shaoxing wine, rock sugar, and a small pinch of salt.
13. Cover the jar tightly with a lid and seal the rim with a strip of parchment and foil, or with a simple flour-and-water dough seal.
14. Steam the sealed jar over steadily simmering water for 2 hours, topping up the steamer water as needed.
15. Rest the jar for 10 minutes before opening, then taste the broth and adjust only lightly with salt.
16. Serve hot in the clay jar or ladled into warm bowls, making sure each serving receives abalone, sea cucumber, fish maw, scallop, mushroom, quail egg, and broth.

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