Ningbo-Style Lard Tangyuan with Jujube-Ginger Syrup and Osmanthus

Method

1. Toast the sesame in a dry 20 cm frying pan over medium-low heat for 5 min, stirring slowly, until it smells deeply nutty and a few seeds pop. Spread it on a plate straight away and let it cool completely; a bitter smell means it has gone too far.

   Add in this stepBlack sesame seeds (raw) 50 g

   medium-low heat

2. Grind the cooled sesame in short pulses, then keep going until the oil comes out and it clumps like a soft paste. Add the filling sugar and salt, grind again, then work in the lard to make a glossy black filling. Freeze for 20 min, roll into 10 balls of 1.5 cm and freeze them again.

   Add in this stepSugar (for the filling) 30 gLard 25 gSalt 1 pinch

3. Bruise the ginger with the flat of a knife and make 2 or 3 slits in each date. Put the syrup water, ginger, dates and brown sugar in a 18 cm pot, bring to a boil on high heat, then lower to low heat and simmer gently for 20 min so the sweetness and ginger fully infuse.

   Add in this stepWater (for the syrup) 550 mlFresh ginger 20 gDried red dates (jujubes) 4Brown sugar 35 g

   high heat→low heat

4. Take about a tenth of the glutinous rice flour, mix it with a little of the water and press into a flat patty. Boil it in a small pot of water on high heat for 2 min, until it floats, then lift it out. Knead the hot cooked patty into the remaining flour, adding the rest of the water a little at a time: this cooked starter gives a smooth, stretchy dough that hardly ever cracks.

   Add in this stepGlutinous rice flour 100 gWarm water (about 40 °C) 90 ml

   high heat

5. Divide the dough into 10 pieces. Press each into a 6 cm cup, wrap a frozen filling ball inside, pinch to seal and roll between your palms until smooth as a pearl. Keep the finished balls under a damp cloth so they don't dry out.

6. Fill a 20 cm pot two-thirds with water and bring to a rolling boil on high heat. Add the tangyuan and immediately stir gently along the bottom. Each time the water surges up, pour in half a cup of cold water to calm it, twice in all, then cook on medium heat for 6 min. They are done when all are floating, plump and the skin turns slightly translucent.

   high heat→medium heat

7. Divide the jujube-ginger syrup among bowls, add the tangyuan and sprinkle with the dried osmanthus. The filling runs out very hot, so eat with care.

   Add in this stepDried osmanthus flowers ½ tsp