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Little known outside of Chinese cuisine, winter melon boasts a juicy watermelon-like flesh that tastes like a milder and sweeter version of daikon radish. Betraying its name, winter melon is the quintessential Chinese summer vegetable, says Leung Fai-hung, executive chef at Hoi King Heen, a Michelin-starred restaurant in Hong Kong.
In the chef's hometown of Xiqiao, in Guangdong, China, the vegetable is often elevated to the status of a cure-all. 'We'd make winter melon water,' says Mr. Leung. 'One cup of that in the beginning of the summer meant we wouldn't ever get heat stroke.' (The recipe: The gourd is dried under sunlight for two days, placed in a container and aged for over a year.)
In a tribute to one of his favorite vegetables, the chef makes a Hangzhou classic steamed winter melon balls but adds his own twist.
Picking the winner: Winter melons are grown in hot climates and harvest in the summer. When they are in season, simply knock one in the belly with your fist and listen. If it is a clear, sharp note, then it means it is ripe: There is enough water in the melon and the flesh is still turgid and not soft. 'That one is the winner,' says Mr. Leung.
Think grapes: When prepared properly, the translucent balls of winter melon laid out on the plate should resemble a cluster of grapes, says Mr. Leung. 'This is easier said than done,' he says. Proper 'balling' with a melon baller takes some practice. The chef's technique involves cutting the raw winter melon into long rectangles, similar to the dimensions of a brick. After scooping out one layer, the uneven surface must be leveled off before starting another layer.
Surprise center: In his own personal touch, the chef uses a smaller melon baller to carve out a center pit in each winter melon ball. He stuffs this cavity with a mixture of diced black olives, pickled mustard greens and blanched choy sum (a vegetable similar to bak choy). 'To me, the saltiness of these ingredients and crunch adds a contrast to the sweetness of the winter melon and softness in its texture,' says Mr. Leung.
An extra step: Before being steamed, the winter melon is 'bathed' with a few ladles of boiling chicken broth. This takes away the raw flavor of the melon, which can be bitter, says the chef. The winter melon balls are then steamed for four minutes.
Picture perfect: To plate, each winter melon ball is laid with the flat side down in the shape of a cluster of grapes. Parsley leaves, or the skin of the winter melon, is cut to mimic grape leaves. Bamboo shoots are placed strategically to resemble grape vines. And a sprinkling of diced red bell pepper adds a final layer of color.
Sauce it up: A simple sauce made of chicken broth, salt, sugar and chicken oil, thickened with corn starch, is spooned over the entire dish. It's then ready for a taste test.
參考譯文：
除中華料理外，鮮有別的菜系用冬瓜來入菜。其實，冬瓜有著跟多汁西瓜一樣豐滿的果肉，而吃起來的口感則像是更清淡、味道偏甜的白蘿卜。香港米其林星級餐廳海景軒(Hoi King Heen)的行政總廚梁輝雄(Leung Fai-hung)說，冬瓜雖被稱為“冬”瓜，但名不副實，它其實是中國典型的夏季蔬菜。
梁輝雄的家鄉(xiāng)在廣東西樵，那里常把冬瓜譽為包治百病的靈丹妙藥。梁輝雄說，我們會拿冬瓜來煮水，剛?cè)胂臅r喝一杯冬瓜水意味著這個夏天都不會中暑。(食譜：把冬瓜放到太陽地里曬兩天，然后置于容器中發(fā)酵一年以上，便可用來煮水。)
為說明冬瓜是深受自己喜愛的蔬菜之一，梁輝雄做了一道杭州經(jīng)典名菜清蒸冬瓜球，但有所創(chuàng)新。
挑選優(yōu)質(zhì)冬瓜：冬瓜在炎熱的氣候條件下生長，收獲季節(jié)是夏天。若恰好是夏天吃冬瓜，挑選時可用拳頭輕敲其腹部，如果聽到的是清晰、響亮的聲音，就說明冬瓜熟了。成熟的冬瓜水分很足，果肉仍十分飽滿，不夠柔軟。梁輝雄說，這樣的就是好冬瓜。
像葡萄一樣：梁輝雄說，當(dāng)一切準(zhǔn)備就緒，半透明的冬瓜球擺在盤中應(yīng)該像串葡萄似的。他說，這個說著容易做起來難。要想用挖球器挖出名副其實的球需要進(jìn)行一定的練習(xí)。梁輝雄先把生冬瓜切成長方形，大小與磚頭類似。用挖球器挖出一層后，須把凹凸不平的表面鏟平，才能開始挖下一層。
內(nèi)有玄機：修飾冬瓜球時，梁輝雄用一個稍小的挖球器在每個冬瓜球的內(nèi)部挖出一個洞，中間填餡，餡料由切成丁的黑橄欖、腌芥菜和焯燙過的油菜心(類似于小白菜)混合而成。梁輝雄說，我覺得這些配料的咸度和脆感與冬瓜本身的甜度和柔軟質(zhì)感形成了對比。
特別步驟：上鍋蒸之前，要讓冬瓜球在幾湯勺滾開的雞湯里“洗個澡”。梁輝雄說，這樣可去除冬瓜可能略帶苦澀的生味。然后，將冬瓜球上鍋蒸四分鐘。
完美構(gòu)圖：裝盤時，每個冬瓜球都要平面朝下放置，擺成一串葡萄的形狀。把洋香菜葉或冬瓜皮剪成葡萄葉的樣子，再畫龍點睛地擺上竹筍，充當(dāng)葡萄藤，最后再撒些紅椒粒來為整個菜品稍許增色。
調(diào)味：用雞湯、鹽、糖和雞油混合熬煮，制成一個簡單的醬汁，加玉米淀粉使之變濃稠，淋一勺在整盤菜肴上。然后就可以來試吃了。
