Recipe: Braised Daikon/Turnip with Pork Ribs and Dried Oysters (白萝卜蚝干焖排骨)

(Click on the image above to view the complete photoset of 7 pictures) To me, cooking is an act of discovery--the discovery of combining and pairing ingredients for a remarkably delicious meal. Sometimes, the discovery comes in a disguise and happens by chance, just like this scrumptious dish of braised daikon with pork ribs and dried oysters (白萝卜蚝干焖排骨). I didn't learn this from the great cooks in my family--my late grandmother, my mother, or my aunt. I developed this recipe myself, not intentionally, but rather spontaneously. Sometimes, great things do happen with leftover ingredients in my fridge, in this case, daikon/turnip, pork ribs, dried oysters (previously I used them in my chicken congee/porridge), and dried wolfberries/goji berries. This is a traditional Chinese preparation. Using low heat to slowly braise and cook the ingredients--preferably with a claypot--this cooking technique retains the natural flavor of the ribs while bringing out the sweetness of daikon and the briny taste of dried oysters. And the wolfberries completed the balance and taste of this dish with a tint of fruity sweetness... While this braised daikon with pork ribs recipe is probably not fine-dining or restaurant-worthy, it tastes so pleasing and homey that I strongly urge you to try it out. It's RASA MALAYSIA CERTIFIED 10-finger licking good! (My pictures really don't do justice to my recipe. I mean, how can you make braised pork ribs+daikon+dried oysters+wolfberries any more photogenic?) *wink* Recipe: Braised Daikon/Turnip with Pork Ribs and Dried Oysters (白萝卜蚝干焖排骨) Ingredients: 1/2 pound pork ribs 1 daikon/turnip (medium-sized) 6-8 dried oysters (rinsed and soaked in water for 15 minutes) 1 tablespoon wolfberries/goji berries 1 1/2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine 1 tablespoon soy sauce 1/2 cup water Salt to taste Sugar to taste 1/2 tablespoon oil 6 cloves shallots (peeled) Method: Heat up a wok or claypot (preferred) and add in the oil. Sauté the shallots until slightly aromatic, then add in the dried oysters and daikon. Do a few quick stirs, follow by the pork ribs, rice wine, soy sauce, and water. Lower the heat to between medium and low, and then cover it up with a lid. Braise for about 20-30 minutes or until the water reduces and thickens. Add salt and sugar to taste and serve hot immediately. Cook's Notes: If you don't like pork ribs, you can use chicken drumsticks. Just cut the chicken drumsticks into pieces, with bones in. You can use Japanese sake if you don't have Chinese rice wine.