Osmanthus Lotus Root with Glutinous Rice

Ingredients

• 2 large lotus root sections, about 700g in total
• 120g glutinous rice
• 120g dark brown sugar
• 10 dried red dates
• 1.2 litres water
• 3 tbsp sweet osmanthus syrup
• 1 tbsp honey
• cocktail sticks

Before you cook

• Rinse the glutinous rice, cover it with cold water and soak it for at least two hours, then drain it well.
• Peel the lotus root sections and rinse the holes clean under running water.
• Cut a 2cm lid off one end of each section and keep the lids.
• Stand each section upright and pack the holes with soaked rice, pushing it down firmly with a chopstick until every channel is full.
• Set the lids back in place and pin them on with three or four cocktail sticks each.

Steps

1. Lay the stuffed lotus root in a deep pan with the brown sugar, red dates and water, making sure the roots are fully covered.
2. Bring the pan to the boil, then turn the heat to its lowest setting.
3. Simmer very gently for two hours, turning the roots over halfway through.
4. Top up with hot water at any point if the roots start to show above the liquid.
5. Test with a skewer; it should slide into the root with no resistance at all.
6. Turn off the heat and leave the roots to cool in their liquid for at least an hour, which deepens their colour.
7. Lift the roots out, remove the cocktail sticks and cut them into slices about 8mm thick.
8. Pour 200ml of the cooking liquid into a small pan and boil it for five minutes, until it thickens to a loose syrup.
9. Stir the honey and osmanthus syrup into the reduced liquid and take it off the heat.
10. Fan the slices onto a plate and spoon the osmanthus syrup over them.