Chef Leung Fai-Hung Makes Braised Pomelo Skins
Posted on May 27, 2011
The WSJ's Amy Ma is back with her Extraordinary Kitchen Talents series in which she features one of Asia's culinary kingpins at work. This week, she talks to Chef Leung Fai-Hung of Hong Kong's Hoi King Heen restaurant.
The chef reveals how he takes an almost inedible pomelo skin and turns it into a savory appetizer. His signature dish is Braised Pomelo Skins. He says it's like a test of a Cantonese chef's culinary skills because it is so difficult to make, requiring many tedious steps to make the skins tender and delicious. Pomelos are citrus fruit which are found in Southeast Asia.
First, the bitter green layer is removed. Then the skins are soaked for five to seven days. Each day all the water must be squeezed out, without hurting the skin,. The chef stews a fish broth separately for two hours, then adds chicken oil. The skins are layered in bamboo separators and braised in soup base. Et voila: the result is tender and looks pretty tasty. Take a look: