BRAISED pomelo rind is a fascinating and lesser-known dish, often found in Chinese cuisine, particularly in Teochew or Cantonese cooking.

It exemplifies how traditional food cultures value resourcefulness, transforming what might otherwise be discarded, into a delicacy.

It’s often served as a side dish or part of a vegetarian meal during occasions like Chinese New Year and other gatherings, such as the Mid-Autumn Festival when pomelo is in season.

Thick-skinned pomelo varieties are ideal for this dish, as the rind is the main ingredient.

The outer yellow or green zest has to be removed, leaving only the thick white pith.

The traditional method is to grill the skin over an open flame until completely blackened, then scrape it off with a knife under water.

The grilling imparts a smoky flavour but also a lot of soot, which is removed in the next step.

The pith has to be soaked in water and repeatedly squeezed to remove the bitterness and soften its texture.

Braised pomelo rind is a lesser-known dish found in Teochew and Cantonese cuisines. — Photos: AZLINA ABDULLAH/The Star

After soaking and squeezing until the water no longer turns yellow, trim off the tough fibres near the stalk end and cut the skin quarters into big chunks of about 4cm or 5cm.

Blanch the chunks in boiling water for five minutes, then plunge them into cold water and squeeze out the bitterness.

The prepared rind can then be braised in a flavourful sauce, often including ingredients such as soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, garlic and spices.

Some variations incorporate dried shrimp, mushrooms or tofu to enrich the dish.

Chillies and belacan can also be added to give it a localised Malaysian flavour.

The braised pomelo rind has a unique, sponge-like texture that soaks up the flavours of the braising liquid.

It’s soft, slightly gelatinous and absorbs the umami-laden sauce beautifully.

Its meat-like texture makes it an ideal substitute for vegans using miso paste and apple juice in the braise seasoning.

Have you tried it before, or are you thinking of making it yourself?

It pairs wonderfully with steamed rice or as part of a multi-course meal.

Braised pomelo rind

Choose pomelos that have thick skins because the rind is the main ingredient of this dish.

Ingredients

1 large pomelo

2 cups prawn broth

3 cloves garlic, minced

6 caps dried shiitake, soaked in ½ cup hot water for 2 hours

3 tbsp cooking oil

1 tbsp dried shrimp, rinsed in water

1 tsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp water

Braise seasoning

1 tsp salt

1½ tsp sugar

¼ tsp white pepper

1 tbsp dark soy sauce

2 tbsp oyster sauce

Garnish

1 sprig of coriander, roughly chopped

2 red chillies, seeded and roughly chopped

Directions

Slit the pomelo skin into quarters and peel the rind.

Slit the pomelo skin into quarters and peel the rind as whole and as intact as possible.

Grill the skins until the green zest is completely charred black.

Grill the skin until the green zest is completely charred black.

Scrape the rind under cold water until the char is completely removed.

Then soak and squeeze the rind in 8 to 10 changes of water until the water runs clear and the texture is no longer slimy.

Trim off the fibres from the stem base and cut the rind quarters into three or four large pieces.

Plunge the blackened rinds in cold water and scrape out all the charred bits.

Blanch the rind in boiling water for five minutes, then plunge the rind into cold water and squeeze again to expel the bitterness.

Blanch the rinds in boiling water, then plunge into cold water and squeeze out the bitterness.

Squeeze the soaked shiitake, saving the mushroom infusion for braising.

Trim off the stems and finely mince them. Cut the mushroom caps into thin slices and set aside.

In a wok, heat the oil to fry the dried shrimp and minced mushroom stems until aromatic, then add garlic to sauté until wilted and continue sautéing with the sliced mushrooms until nicely seared.

Deglaze the wok with mushroom infusion and add the rind pieces.

Saute the shrimps, mushrooms and garlic in oil until aromatic, deglaze with mushroom infusion before adding the rind pieces.

Add the prawn broth and the seasonings to braise for about 30 minutes until the liquid is almost completely reduced and the flavours are absorbed into the rind.

Thicken the gravy with cornstarch slurry and adjust the salt, sugar and pepper seasoning to taste.

Garnish with chillies and coriander and serve immediately.