Cooking Videos — 2026-05-01#

Watch First#

If you only have time for one video today, you must check out the masterful breakdown of Classic Shandong Scallion Braised Sea Cucumber by 鲁菜老厨陈宗明. It is a phenomenal, deep-dive masterclass into flavor building, showcasing exactly how traditional chefs extract every ounce of aroma from simple aromatics to elevate a luxury ingredient.

Highlights by Theme#

Recipes & Tutorials#

Over on 鲁菜老厨陈宗明, Chef Chen provides an exhaustive tutorial on traditional Scallion Braised Sea Cucumber (葱烧海参). He utilizes a brilliant “three-stage” scallion frying technique in peanut oil to create an intensely flavorful scallion oil base without burning the delicate alliums. He also clarifies a crucial culinary distinction: traditional braised (烧) dishes in this regional style must incorporate the subtle aroma of Sichuan peppercorns, unlike standard “Pa” (扒) dishes which rely purely on the scallion flavor. Additionally, Costco 好市多 shared a very brief, teaser-style glimpse of a Pistachio Cream Cake, though the video currently lacks any instructional depth or recipe steps.

Food Science & Tips#

Chef Chen drops some brilliant kitchen wisdom regarding equipment and delicate proteins. He strongly recommends using a clay pot rather than an iron wok when braising sea cucumber, explaining that the iron can cause oxidation and negatively alter the seafood’s delicate, snappy texture. Furthermore, he explains that because sea cucumber naturally lacks flavor and shrinks dramatically when cooked, building an intensely rich scallion broth and braising it slowly is non-negotiable for injecting flavor into the ingredient.