Steamed Fuzzy Melon, Dried Scallops with White Sauce

My dear friend, Wendy brought me a lovely gift box of Chinese dried scallops from Hong Kong. Dried scallop is a type of dried seafood product made from the adductor muscle of scallops. It is rich in calcium and minerals, and it is used in Chinese cuisine for soups, congee, or braised with other meats and vegetables. This is one of my favorite dish using dried scallops and fuzzy melon. Fuzzy melon or "mo qua" is a sweet and mild squash that has a fuzzy feel on the surface.

Ingredients:
1 fuzzy melon, scrape skin lightly with spoon
6 whole dried scallops, soak for at least an hour
1 egg white, lightly beaten
¼ cup chicken stock
1 tsp. cornstarch, mix with a little water
Steaming tray
Method:
1. Cut fuzzy melon into 1¼-inch thickness across in rounds. Use a teaspoon and gently scoop the surface in the middle to remove the seeds. It should be deep enough for the whole scallops to sit on top.
2. Heat a steamer rack with water to a rolling boil. Remove the dried scallops and place in a bowl and place in the steaming tray. Do the same with the melon rounds. Steam for 20-25 minutes to cook the dried scallops and melons. Remove and set aside.
3. Arrange the cooked melon on the dish and place each rounds with a cooked scallop.
3. Heat a frying pan with a teaspoon of oil over medium heat. Add the cornstarch and enough chicken stock to make a white sauce. Bring to a light boil and stir in the egg white and cook for 1 minute. Remove and spoon sauce over melon. Serve immediately with rice.
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