Agate Ginkgo
A sweet dish from Shandong (Lu) cuisine. Ginkgo nuts are steamed, then coated in starch and deep-fried, finished with spun sugar frosting drawn into fine threads. The dish has an attractive presentation, with a crisp, sweet exterior and a tender, soft, slightly chewy interior.
Ingredients
Ginkgo nuts (crushed, shells removed, boiled 10 minutes, inner skin rubbed off, steamed until soft)
250 g
Candied green and red strips (sprinkled on the finished dish)
20 g
Sesame seeds (sprinkled on the finished dish)
15 g
Granulated sugar (for caramelizing)
20 g
Peanut oil (for deep-frying)
250 g
Starch (for coating the ginkgo nuts)
50 g
Sesame oil (for greasing the plate)
to taste
Instructions
1
Prepare the ginkgo nuts
Crush the ginkgo nuts, remove the shells, boil for about 10 minutes, rub off the inner skin membrane, then steam until softened.
2
Coat with starch
Place the ginkgo nuts in dry starch and toss to coat evenly.
3
Deep-fry
Place in oil heated to about 175°C (70% hot), fry briefly then remove. Once the oil temperature rises to about 200°C (80% hot), fry again until pale golden yellow, then remove and drain.
4
Pull the sugar coating
Heat a small amount of oil in a wok, add the sugar and stir-fry until golden yellow and foaming. Quickly add the ginkgo nuts and toss to coat evenly. Sprinkle with the candied green and red strips and sesame seeds, then pour onto an enamel plate greased with sesame oil. Use a knife to pull the sugar syrup into thin sheets, let cool slightly, then plate and serve.
