Seafood birdsnest

Seafood birdsnest

Place of origin	Hong Kong, China
Region or state	Cantonese-speaking region
Main ingredients	fried taro or noodles, scallops, peapods, boneless fish fillet, celery sticks, straw mushrooms, calamari, shrimp

Seafood birdsnest
Traditional Chinese	海鮮雀巢
Simplified Chinese	海鲜雀巢
Jyutping	hoi2 sin1 zoek3 caau4
Hanyu Pinyin	hǎi xiān qiǎo cháo
Literal meaning	Seafood birds nest
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin hǎi xiān qiǎo cháo Yue: Cantonese Jyutping hoi2 sin1 zoek3 caau4

Seafood birdsnest is a common Chinese cuisine dish found in Hong Kong, China and most overseas Chinatown restaurants. It is also found within Cantonese cuisine. It is usually classified as a mid to high-end dish depending on the seafood offered.

Preparation

To prepare hai xian qiao chao, you need to cut the squid into slices and boil them in water, then clean the shrimp; cut the garlic into cloves and celery and mushrooms into cubes; bring the water in the pot to a boil; then insert the noodles until cooked; remove them, rinse them in cold water; cover them with corn starch and form the basket; then fry some oil in a pan, then put the pan on the heat and add water; add mushrooms and celery; take a new pan and add more oil, then add shrimp, scallops and calamari, and then the garlic cloves; cook over low heat, then add mushrooms, celery and other seasonings. Once ready, everything will be placed in the previously formed noodle basket.

Basket

The edible nest holding the seafood is made entirely out of fried taro or noodles. There are different intricate netting used in the nest making. The fried nest is usually tough and crunchy.

Fillings

Despite the name there is nothing bird-related in this dish, nor are there any dried ingredients. The most common ingredients are scallops, peapods, boneless fish fillet, celery sticks, straw mushrooms, calamari, shrimp.

See also

• List of fish dishes
• List of seafood dishes