Four Treasures in Tangerine Cups
Tangerines symbolize great luck and prosperity, making this a unique and festive dish for the New Year. Steamed in hollowed-out tangerine skins, these four savory fillings offer a distinctive citrus aroma and presentation.
Story
Served in a bed of lettuce for stability, the tangerine cups release a fragrant citrus scent as they steam. It is a lively centerpiece where finding a hidden coin promises good fortune for the year ahead.
Ingredients
Shiranui tangerine
4
Chicken mid-joint wings
3
Beef
100g
Fish belly
100g
Pork belly
100g
Ginger
to taste
Sichuan peppercorns
to taste
Cumin
to taste
Cracked black pepper
to taste
Shiitake mushrooms
2
Red dates
2
Goji berries
10 grains
Black wood ear
2 pieces
Five-spice steamed meat rice flour
100g
Soy sauce
to taste
Vegetable oil
to taste
Instructions
1
Step 1
Ingredient preparation: Cut the beef into thin slices, cut the pork belly into slices thinner than 0.5 cm, and cut the fish belly into 5 cm long blocks.
2
Step 2
Slice the ginger; remove the pits from the red dates and shred them; soak the shiitake mushrooms and wood ear mushrooms for 1 hour, then shred them.
3
Step 3
Hollow out the flesh of the tangerines as demonstrated in the image below.
4
Step 4
Main ingredient pre-processing: 1. Pair the spices as follows: pork belly + a small amount of Sichuan peppercorns, beef + crushed black pepper, fish belly + ginger slices, chicken mid-wings + cumin seeds. Mix each spice combination evenly with its respective main ingredient.
5
Step 5
- Add an appropriate amount of steamed meat rice flour to each, mix evenly, and marinate for 1 hour. Tip: Since the steamed meat rice flour already contains salt, there is no need to add additional salt.
6
Step 6
- After marinating is complete, pair the ingredients as follows: chicken mid-wings + shiitake mushrooms, beef + red dates, fish belly + goji berries, pork belly + wood ear mushrooms. Add the respective ingredients to each and mix evenly.
7
Step 7
- Place the 4 processed main ingredients into the tangerine cups respectively. Drizzle a small amount of soy sauce on top; drizzle an appropriate amount of vegetable oil over the beef and fish belly.
8
Step 8
- The chicken mid-wings are larger and can be placed vertically; layer the others without pressing too hard, as proper air pockets help them steam faster; the chicken mid-wings and pork belly contain more fat, so no need to add vegetable oil. During the filling process, you can place a coin in one of the cups. See who gets the good fortune for the year.
9
Step 9
- Cover with the tangerine lids respectively, place into a large bowl and put into the steamer. After the water boils, steam on high heat for 40 minutes. Tip: Try to fit the tangerine lids tightly, because the rice flour and main ingredients will expand during steaming, affecting appearance. If the lids are tight, they won't expand everywhere; you can use bamboo or wooden toothpicks to secure them. Since it steams on high heat for 40 minutes, ensure there is enough water in the steamer, otherwise adding water midway will affect the timing and texture.
10
Step 10
- After turning off the heat, place the tangerine cups onto a plate lined with lettuce.
11
Step 11
- Because the bottoms of the tangerine cups are round, the four may not sit neatly and steadily; lining with lettuce makes the tangerine cups look more neat and tidy. The tangerine fragrance overflows, serve and enjoy! The person who gets the coin has to give a red envelope!
