Lunar New Year Sea Cucumber Recipe (serves 2-3)

Few ingredients carry the weight of tradition quite like sea cucumber at Lunar New Year. Prized for centuries in Chinese cuisine for its silky texture and remarkable ability to absorb flavors, sea cucumber is a symbol of prosperity and a centerpiece of festive tables across generations. In this recipe, Chef Desiree Lo pairs sustainably harvested sea cucumber with shiitake mushrooms and black moss — two other auspicious ingredients — in a slow-braised dish that rewards patience with extraordinary depth of flavor. Elegant enough for a celebration, and a perfect showcase for the exceptional quality of BC-harvested sea cucumber.

Lunar New Year Sea Cucumber Recipe

By Chef Desiree Lo

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Servings 2 people

Ingredients

  

• 200 g Sea cucumbers cleaned
• 6 pcs Shiitake mushrooms  dried and rehydrated
• 20 g Black moss rehydrated
• 8 pcs Ginger slices
• 15 g Shallots minced
• 20 g Garlic minced
• 25 g Rock sugar
• 5 g 5-spice powder
• 50 g Rice wine
• 15 g Light soy sauce
• 20 g Oyster sauce
• 1 cup Reserved mushroom liquid
• 1 cup Chicken stock no salt or low sodium
• 1 pc orange peel dried
• 3 pcs Star anise
• 2 tbs Neutral oil i.e. canola, grapeseed or avocado
• 4 pcs Shanghai baby bok choy

Instructions

 

• Soak the dried mushrooms in hot water for at least an hour if the mushrooms are large and meaty or in cold water overnight (recommended).  Once the mushrooms are rehydrated, give them a final rinse and squeeze them gently to remove excess water. Cut off the stems and save them for stock.  No waste!  Save the mushroom liquid.
• Clean the fresh sea cucumbers.  Remove the stomach lining and rinse off any sand or dirt.  Slice the ginger and set aside 5 pieces for later.  Place the cleaned sea cucumbers in a medium pot with water and 3 pieces of sliced ginger and bring to a boil.  Lower the heat to low/medium and simmer for 15 minutes to remove any “fishy” smell.  Remove from the pot and rinse in cold water.  Set aside until cooking.  Discard the blanching water.
• Place the dried black moss in a bowl and cover it with cold or warm water.  Soak for 30 minutes until it is fully softened.  Swish around and pick out any dirt.  Drain and rinse again until the moss is cleaned.  Squeeze out any excess water and set aside.
• Mince shallots, garlic and measure out the rest of the ingredients.  The cooking is quick so you want to have all the ingredients ready to go when cooking begins.
• In a wok (make sure there is a lid), heat up the oil over medium heat.  When the oil is hot, saute the shallots, garlic and ginger slices.  Stir until the ingredients release the fragrance and are translucent. 
• Add the rock sugar and saute for a few minutes.  I like to “caramelize” the sugar for added depth, color and flavor. Add the 5-spice and a little more oil if needed.  Keep stirring for 3 minutes to cook out the spices. 
• Once fragrant, add the mushrooms and sea cucumbers and saute for about 30 seconds.  Deglaze with the rice wine.  Add the remaining liquids to the pot.  Bring to a boil and immediately lower the heat to low and cover with a lid.  The liquid should be simmering and not rolling boil to maintain their delicate texture, prevent them from overcooking (mushy) and ensure they become tender rather than tough or rubbery. Sea cucumbers are primarily composed of collagen, which requires a slow, gentle cooking process to break down properly.
• Cook for at least 90 minutes.  Check for doneness.  The sea cucumbers should be tender to touch, not tough or falling apart.  Cook longer if they still feel tough but should not take longer than 2 hours.
• Clean and steam the baby bok choy, about 3 minutes.  Set aside.
• Remove the sea cucumbers and the mushrooms onto the plate when the sea cucumbers are tender.  Using a fine-mesh skimmer, remove the cooked aromatics and whole spices
• Turn the heat to high and add the cleaned black moss.  This quick reduction will allow the moss to soak up the liquid while thickening the sauce.  This will take about 3-5 minutes.
• Remove from heat and plate the black moss on the bottom of a ceramic clay pot.  Layer the mushrooms, sea cucumbers and baby bok choy on top.  Serve immediately!  White rice is optional but highly recommended.