Stuffed Fuzzy Melon(瑤柱肉餡扒節瓜)
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Although a perfectly grilled juicy medium-rare steak is one of my favorites when I dine out, I almost always do it with a side of green. Not that I like vegitables that much but I was brought up eating Chinese food where most of the dishes are consisted of a mix of proteins and non-protein ingredients. 
The Chinese are very good at combining meat and vegetables together. You’ll find that a lot of Chinese dishes are really just a balance between meat and vegetables. The interactions between the ingredients can be complicated but they tend to live in harmony. The protein gives the flavor to the vegetables and the vegetables complements the protein. Confused of what I just said? Let me explain to you with this elegant stuffed fuzzy melon dish.
First of all, I’d like to introduce a dry seafood ingredient call conpoy or dried scallop. Conpoy is believed to be very rich in amino acids and other nutrients. It is very rich in flavor so normally a small quantity goes a long way. Conpoies are sold under different grades.Premium grade conpoy can be sold for over $300/lb.
In this recipe we will use exactly one medium size conpoy to flavor the fuzzy melon (also known as Hairy Melon). This dish will also involve steaming to preserve the natural taste of all the ingredients. If you can not find fuzzy melon you can also substitute it with zucchini.
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2 Small fuzzy melon, about 1.5 lbs
10 oz ground pork (can use chicken or beef)
1 shiitake mushroom, sliced
2 head bok choy
1 conpoy
Stuffing Marinade
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp white pepper powder
1 Shiitake mushroom, minced
1 tsp Minced ginger
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp Sesame oil
1 tbsp Corn starch
2 tbsp Water
1/2 tsp Salt
Sauce Condiments
1 tbsp Oyster sauce
2 tsp Soy sauce
1 tsp White pepper powder
1 tsp Thin ginger strips
1/3 Conpoy strips
1 tbsp Chopped scallion
1/2 tsp Sesame oil
1 tbsp Corn starch, dissolved in 1.5 tbsp of water
4 tbsp Chicken stock[/stextbox]
[stextbox id=”custom”]Steps (for 4 Servings)
Do ahead of time: Soak the conpoy overnight. Break the re-hydrated conpoy into small strips.
1. Lightly peel the fuzzy skin using a knife. A skin peeler tends to peel off too much of the flesh. . The peeled fuzzyu should look pale green, not white. Cut into to 1 inch tall tubes. Marinate ground pork with the marinade condiments.
2. Combine all the stuffing ingriends and mix well in a bowl. Let it sit for at least 10 mins before use.
3. In boiling water, blanche the fuzzy melon and bok choy. About 1 mintues for the bok choy and 4 minutes for the melon. Drain and let them cool.
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4. Carefully carve out the seeds and some soft flesh in the middle of the melon. Stuff the melon with meat stuffing until it forms a small dome. Then top the stuffing with few strips of conpoy.
5. In a steaming pot, steam the stuffed melon and sliced shiitake mushroom for 15 minutes. When done, set aside any liquid rendered from the melon.
6. In a small skillet, combine the rendered liquid with the chicken stock. Add all the sauce condiment except the corn starch. Make well and let it boil for 2 minutes. Ajust the flavor by adding salt. Add the starch to thicken the sauce. Serve your melon with 1 tbsp of the sauce.
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Hi, is the bok choy just a side dish to the meal? Or is it used in the main recipe. Also, is it supposed to be serve cold as last thing that was done was blanching it.
Ahh, these pics remind me of my mom’s fuzzy melon soup. Looking at your food blog makes me want to go home (from college) for some authentic Chinese food.
Hello Chrissy, nothing beats mama’s home cooking and I complete understand how you feel right now. I did quite some cooking while I was in college because that’s the only way I could get decent meals. On the brighter side, now it’s the perfect time for you to learn a few recipes away from home 🙂
This turned out delicious, even though I did not have conpoy or chicken stock. I had to steam this in three lots, and I was worried the first batch would become cold, but it remained warm. Having hot sauce to pour over the top helps of course. Great recipe, thanks!
Hi Nom Nom Panda thanks for your feedback. I am glad that the dish turned out good. Nowadays I like to steam stuff in a wok because it’s big enough to steam a whole plateful of food.
I am a college student, but I enjoy making your dishes at my dorm. Your step-by-step instructions are very helpful. 🙂
Hi Soe, thanks for your visit. I am glad that you like the recipes….hope to see you around!
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This is really fancy~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thank you Wei. It does look pretty fancy but it is still doable at home.
This is a fancy dish that is usually eaten in restaurants. I can’t believe you made it at home! YUM