Ancient City Mandarin Duck Pie

Ancient City Mandarin Duck Pie

　　The Ancient City Mandarin Duck Pie is a specialty of Gucheng Town, Shenxian County, Liaocheng City, Shandong Province. The pie is made with premium pork and high-quality wheat flour to create an eight-layered meat turnover, which is then stacked in pairs (hence the name "Mandarin Duck") and steamed. It features a thin, chewy crust, fragrant yet not greasy, deliciously savory, and has a long-lasting aftertaste.

　　The Mandarin Duck Pie has a long history and is a famous local dish. Chen Zhaohai is the fourth-generation inheritor. It can also be made with egg and scallion filling, known as the vegetarian turnover.

　　The meat turnover has seven layers inside and out, with chopped scallions and pork added inside. Its preparation is particularly meticulous, and the cooking technique is kept secret and not passed on. The people of Gucheng Town specially invited a cultural expert to give the "meat turnover" the cultural name "Mandarin Duck Pie." The town also entered the "Mandarin Duck Pie" into events such as the "Jiangbei Water City Cultural Tourism Festival," making it one of the "First Batch of Intangible Cultural Heritages of Shenxian County" and a "local famous snack." The town also encourages the public sharing of the "Mandarin Duck Pie" recipe to expand the industry. Now, there are more than 10 shops in the town making the "Mandarin Duck Pie," some of which have even opened branches in Beijing, Shanghai, Zhengzhou, Dongying, Jinan, and Liaocheng.

　　How to Make the Ancient City Mandarin Duck Pie:

　　Ingredients for the dough wrapper: 250g all-purpose flour, 50g powdered sugar, 70g butter, 100g water

　　Ingredients for the laminated dough: 180g cake flour, 90g butter

　　Filling: 270g rice cake, 360g red bean paste

　　Instructions:

　　(1) Mix all the dough wrapper ingredients together, then knead into a smooth, non-sticky dough. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for about 30 minutes. Divide into 18 equal portions and set aside.

　　(2) Mix the laminated dough ingredients into a dough, which is the laminated layer. Also divide into 18 equal portions and set aside.

　　(3) Flatten the dough wrapper, wrap in the laminated dough, slightly flatten, then roll out and roll up. Flatten again, roll out, and roll up. Then cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 15 minutes.

　　(4) Divide the rice cake and red bean paste into 18 equal portions each. Wrap the rice cake inside the red bean paste and shape into round balls. Set aside.

　　(5) Roll out the rested laminated dough into a round sheet, wrap in the red bean paste and rice cake filling from step (4), seal the edges, and slightly flatten.

　　(6) Brush the surface with sieved egg wash, poke holes with a toothpick, and bake in the oven at 220°C upper heat and 170°C lower heat for about 20 minutes.