May I introduce you to the Chinese Winter Melon. Also known as the ash gourd, wax gourd, tallow gourd, even an ash squash. It’s incredibly large as it is magnificent, and eaten as a vegetable when it matures to full size. The taste and texture remains a mild and delicate crunch with a high level of hydration and vitamin C. It’s been a bountiful harvest of winter melons this year, and we at Naturally Chinese will be offering this beautiful food to you while stocks last. 

Our chefs bring you three variations in the form of a soup, a seafood claypot and a dish of braised winter melon. These are long time techniques of cooking the melon. It should not be eaten raw. 

The soup: Doused in a hint of ginger to offset the cooling effect of the melon, the ginger gives the soup heat and balance. The broth also contains a classic salted egg, carrots, coriander and spring onions. 

The Seafood Claypot: With a melange of prawns scallops and squid, this hot pot makes an elegant and heart warming dish as the weather gets colder. It can be shared amongst two with a side of noodles or rice. 

The Braised: You might wonder how a melon could lend itself to being braised. This is a wonderful cooking technique and preserves the nutritive value of the melon. Its delicious taste comes from a drizzle of rice wine, oyster sauce and soya sauce. Ofcourse, ginger makes a complementary appearance to the dish. 

 

We hope you try these wonderfully fortifying specials while they last. To book a table, call us at 020 8399 5533 or email us at hello@naturallychineserestaurant.co.uk.