Devein the shrimp (0.50 lb) if needed, then use kitchen shears to cut off the tail and legs.

Place the mung bean vermicelli (2 oz) in a large bowl. Fill the bowl with warm water until the vermicelli is fully submerged and let soak.

Trim and discard the ends of the seafood mushrooms (3 oz). Cut the longer pieces in half and rinse in cold water.

Cut the carrot (2 oz) in half lengthwise. Place it lengthwise with the flat side on the cutting board and cut into thin slices.

Peel the garlic (2 clove) and cut into thin slices.

Cut the shallot (0.50 oz) into smaller chunks.

Cut the ginger (1 oz) into slices, then into triangles.

Use a knife to scrape off the hairs of the fuzzy melon (1 oz). This will leave some of the skin intact. You can also use a vegetable peeler if you're not comfortable with the knife.

Cut and discard the ends, then rinse the melon. Cut the melon in half lengthwise, then halve each piece again. Slice the long pieces into 1/4-inch pieces at an angle.

LESSON 9.4

Vegetable Fiber

Dive Deeper →

After the vermicelli has softened, use kitchen shears to snip the noodles into shorter strands. Remove the vermicelli and set them in a strainer to drain out the excess water.

Heat a wok on high.

Once the center of the wok turns pale and begins to smoke, add the oil. Lower the heat to medium and add the garlic, ginger and shallots. Fry the aromatics until fragrant, about 15 to 20 seconds.

Add the shrimp and cook on high heat until the bottom turns red, about 25 seconds. Flip and cook the other side for 25 seconds.

Add carrots and stir fry together for 20 seconds. Reduce the heat then transfer everything to a plate and set aside.

Add fuzzy melon to the wok and stir fry on high heat for 30 seconds.

Pour in the can of chicken broth (1 can) and stir to pick up any flavors left over from stir frying.

Carefully transfer the contents of the wok to a large clay pot.

Add the water (1 cup) and cover with a lid. Bring the soup to a boil on high heat.

Once the soup is boiling, uncover the clay pot and reduce the temperature to low heat. Add the salt (1 teaspoon), sugar (1 teaspoon), oyster sauce (1 tablespoon) and light soy sauce (1 tablespoon). Taste and adjust according to your preference.

Increase the heat to high and add the shrimp and seafood mushrooms. Press the ingredients down gently to ensure they’re mostly submerged, then cover the clay pot and bring it back to a boil.

If there’s too much soup, ladle some into a separate bowl so it doesn't overflow. Add the vermicelli to the clay pot and use chopsticks to shift the ingredients around so the noodles are on the bottom and the shrimp are on the top.

Add the white pepper (0.25 teaspoon) and sesame oil to the pot. Turn off the heat and stir to distribute the flavors.

Serve clay pot covered on a plate with wet paper towel to prevent it from slipping.