| 1 | I used cornish game hens, but you could also use a cut up chicken. |
| 2 | If you can"t get winter melon, watermelon will work. |
| 3 | Winter melon is white, very mild tasting and a tad denser than watermelon. |
| 4 | I think you could get away using something like honeydew too. |
| 5 | Have fun! |
| 6 | chef: yip kwai-sing |
| 7 | thirty-year-old hong kong-born mr. |
| 8 | Yip has spent half his life in cantonese restaurant kitchens. |
| 9 | He is best known for his fai choy chicken speciality and shark"s fin dishes. |
| 10 | As the leader of a south villa restaurant team in one of the display classes, he won also a culinary award bronze medal. |
| 11 | establishment: south villa restaurant, 58-60 cameron road, tsimshatsui kowloon. |
| 12 | chinese cuisine practical class platinum award - poultry |
| 13 | "happy bird crosses the golden bridge" presents an attractive image featuring the pigeon, a symbol of happiness to the chinese. |
| 14 | The inclusion of winter melon, a summertime seasonal vegetable, as the imagined "golden bridge" is a culinary play on words: the dish combines two traditional dishes providing a bridge between their contrasting textures and flavours. |
| 15 | The garnish - flowering chives - is more than an aesthetic detail, symbolizing the greenery growing along the water"s edge. |
| 16 | to prepare: |
| 17 | Mix the marinade and coat pigeons with it for 2 to 3 minutes. |
| 18 | Remove skin of winter melon and cut 12 slices about 5 cms wide, |
| 19 | 3 cms long and 2 cms thick. |
| 20 | Make a slit sideways on the longest side of each piece and insert one ham slice. |
| 21 | to cook: |
| 22 | Deep-fry pigeons over a medium flame until golden. |
| 23 | Heat the wok or pot, add 1 tbs oil. |
| 24 | When it is very hot, stir- fry ginger and shallots for 1 minute. |
| 25 | Then add above stewing seasoning ingredients and pigeons, cover and braise over a slow flame for 20 to 25 minutes. |
| 26 | Remove pigeons. |
| 27 | Reserve 1 cup of the pigeon braising stock, to make sauce later. |
| 28 | Double the remaining braising stock"s liquid volume by adding water, then immerse winter melon slices. |
| 29 | Cook for 5 minutes, then turn off heat. |
| 30 | Cover wok, leave winter melon slices for a further 5 minutes (thus ensuring they do not lose their shape through excess direct cooking). |
| 31 | Mix sauce ingredients with reserved cup of pigeon braising stock and heat. |
| 32 | to present: |
| 33 | Cut pigeons into pieces and arrange across serving dish. |
| 34 | Place 6 overlapping winter melon slices on each side of pigeons. |
| 35 | Pour sauce over, and garnish with flowering chives. |
| 36 | makes 12 servings. |
| 37 | from "champion recipes of the 1986 hong kong food festival". |
| 38 | Hong kong tourist association, 1986. |
