Xie Ke Huang

Ingredients

• 200g plain flour, for the water dough
• 60g lard, softened, for the water dough
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 1/2 tsp fine salt, for the dough
• 80ml warm water
• 150g plain flour, for the oil dough
• 75g lard, softened, for the oil dough
• 250g minced pork belly
• 6 spring onions, finely sliced
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tsp caster sugar, for the filling
• 1/2 tsp fine salt, for the filling
• 1/4 tsp ground white pepper
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• 2 tbsp cold water
• 1 tbsp plain flour mixed with 2 tbsp water, to glaze
• 60g white sesame seeds

Before you cook

• Bring both quantities of lard to room temperature so they cream easily into the flour.
• Slice the spring onions finely, greens and whites together.
• Line two baking trays with baking paper.

Steps

1. Rub the 60g of lard into 200g of flour with the salt and sugar until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs.
2. Add the warm water and knead for eight minutes, until you have a soft, smooth water dough.
3. Wrap the water dough and rest it for thirty minutes.
4. Work the remaining 75g of lard into 150g of flour with your fingers until it forms a pliable oil dough with no dry patches.
5. Divide each dough into twelve equal pieces.
6. Flatten a piece of water dough into a disc, sit a piece of oil dough in the middle and draw the edges up to enclose it completely.
7. Roll the parcel into an oval about 12cm long, then roll it up from the short end into a cylinder.
8. Turn the cylinder so the seam faces up, flatten it into a long oval again and roll it up a second time.
9. Repeat the enclosing and rolling with the remaining pieces, then rest them all under a cloth for fifteen minutes.
10. Stir the minced pork with the soy sauces, sugar, salt, white pepper, sesame oil and Shaoxing wine, beating in the cold water until the meat is sticky.
11. Fold the sliced spring onions through the pork.
12. Stand a rolled cylinder on its end, press it flat and roll it out to a 9cm round with the layers spiralling outwards.
13. Spoon a heaped tablespoon of filling into the centre and pinch the edges together over the top.
14. Turn the pastry seam side down and press it into a neat dome.
15. Shape the remaining eleven pastries the same way.
16. Brush the top of each pastry with the flour and water glaze, then press it firmly into the sesame seeds.
17. Space the pastries well apart on the lined trays and chill them for fifteen minutes.
18. Heat the oven to 200C fan.
19. Bake for twenty-two to twenty-five minutes, until the sesame crust is deep gold and the layers have opened at the sides.
20. Cool the pastries on a rack for ten minutes before eating, so the filling settles enough not to scald.