Steamed Pear with Almond Cream and Snow Fungus

Ingredients

Instructions

1. 1

   Soak dried snow fungus in water until soft, about 30 minutes. Remove hard core and tear into small pieces.

2. 2

   Soak sweet almonds and bitter almonds in warm water for 20 minutes to soften.

3. 3

   Peel Asian pears, core them, and cut into bite-sized pieces.

4. 4

   Drain soaked almonds. Blend sweet almonds, bitter almonds, and 500ml of water until very smooth. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve or nut milk bag, squeezing out all liquid. Discard pulp.

5. 5

   In a large heatproof bowl, combine snow fungus, pear pieces, rock sugar, the remaining 500ml of water, and the strained almond cream.

6. 6

   Steam the bowl over high heat for 30 minutes, then reduce heat to medium and continue steaming for another 30 minutes, or until pears are tender and snow fungus is soft.

7. 7

   Serve warm or chilled.