Buddha Jumps Over the Wall (佛跳墙) — Fujian Banquet Treasure Soup

• 80 gdried sea cucumber (soak and simmer until rehydrated; yields about 300 g)
• 80 gdried fish maw (rehydrated before cooking)
• 120 gdried abalone (rehydrated before cooking)
• 40 gdried scallops
• 8dried shiitake mushrooms
• 2 lwater for soaking seafood
• 1chicken carcass (about 900 g)
• 500 gpork ribs
• 700 gpork trotter (split by the butcher)
• 100 gJinhua ham
• 2 inchfresh ginger (sliced)
• 4scallions
• 60 mlShaoxing wine
• 3 lwater
• 4chicken thighs (bone-in, skin removed, about 650 g)
• 250 gpork tendon (blanched)
• 150 gbamboo shoots (sliced)
• 8quail eggs (hard-boiled and peeled)
• 1 tbsplight soy sauce
• 12 grock sugar
• 8 gfine sea salt
• 0.5 tspground white pepper

Instructions

1. 1

   Begin the dried ingredients 48 hours before the final cooking. Soak the dried sea cucumber, dried abalone, dried scallops, and dried shiitake mushrooms in separate bowls using the 2 l soaking water, changing the sea cucumber and abalone water every 12 hours.

2. 2

   After soaking, simmer the sea cucumber in fresh water for 45 minutes and let it cool in the water until flexible. Simmer the abalone for 90 minutes, reserve 250 ml of its cooking liquid, and reserve the scallop and shiitake soaking liquids after straining them through a fine sieve.

3. 3

   Rehydrate the fish maw by covering it with hot water for 30 minutes, then drain and rinse it well. Cut the fish maw, sea cucumber, and abalone into large serving pieces so they remain recognizable after the long steaming.

4. 4

   Blanch the chicken carcass, pork ribs, pork trotter, chicken thighs, and pork tendon in boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain them, rinse away foam under warm water, and clean the pot so the superior stock stays clear rather than muddy.

5. 5

   Make the superior stock by combining the blanched chicken carcass, pork ribs, pork trotter, Jinhua ham, 2 inch ginger, 4 scallions, 60 ml Shaoxing wine, and 3 l water in a stockpot. Bring it to a gentle simmer, skim for 15 minutes, then cook uncovered at a low tremble for 3 hours.

6. 6

   Strain the stock through a fine sieve and discard the spent bones, ginger, and scallions. Measure 1.6 l of stock for the soup, then enrich it with the reserved abalone liquid, scallop soaking liquid, and shiitake soaking liquid.

7. 7

   Layer a heavy clay wine jar or deep ceramic casserole with the chicken thighs, pork tendon, sea cucumber, fish maw, abalone, dried scallops, shiitake mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and quail eggs. Add the 1 inch ginger and 2 scallions, then pour in the enriched stock, 120 ml Shaoxing wine, light soy sauce, rock sugar, salt, and white pepper.

8. 8

   Cover the vessel tightly with its lid, then wrap the rim with foil to trap aroma in the traditional sealed-jar spirit of the dish. Steam the covered vessel over gently boiling water for 3 hours, checking the steamer every 45 minutes and adding boiling water as needed.

9. 9

   Rest the sealed soup for 20 minutes before opening so the aromas settle back into the broth. Remove the ginger and scallions, skim excess surface fat, and serve each bowl with broth plus a balanced portion of seafood, meat, mushroom, bamboo shoot, and egg.