Mandarin Duck Pastry

Mandarin Duck Pastry

　　Ingredients: 500g flour, 150g lard.

　　Seasonings: 75g red bean paste, 75g lard-sugar filling

　　Preparation method: Deep-fry. First, remove the outer membrane from pork back fat, dice it finely, then mix with sugar, essence, crushed melon seeds, and chopped green and red preserved plums to make the lard-sugar filling. Take 200g of flour and rub in 100g of lard to make a dry oil crust, take 300g of flour and mix with 50g of lard, then add an appropriate amount of warm water to form a smooth dough, knead into a water-oil dough. Wrap the dry oil crust inside the water-oil dough, use the “open large puff” technique to create a flaky pastry, then divide into 20 pieces. Fill half with red bean paste and half with lard-sugar filling, shaping them all into dumpling-like forms. Then join the corners of the two different fillings together, pinch tightly, and crimp the edges into a round pastry shell. Use chopsticks dipped in a bit of red food coloring to dot the pastry as “eyes” of the mandarin duck. When the cooking oil in the pan reaches about 150–160°C (medium heat), gently place the raw pastries into the oil. Fry until the shells puff up and float to the surface, indicating they’re done.

　　Flavor profile: Resembles a pair of mandarin ducks, with a crispy crust, distinct layers, sweet and fragrant filling, offering dual colors and flavors.

　　Technical tips: Do not overfill the pastry with filling, and ensure the joined edges are tightly crimped, otherwise the pastry may fall apart.