Ingredients
100 g dried lotus seeds and 100 g dried longan.
Seasonings
50 g pork leaf lard, 40 g rock sugar, 7.5 g edible alkali (baking soda), 2 g osmanthus syrup.
Instructions
1. Pour the dried lotus seeds into boiling water, add edible alkali, and use a bamboo whisk to stir and rub off the skins.
2. Drain the lye water, replace with boiling water, add more food-grade lye, and continue stirring vigorously. Remove the lotus seeds, wash them clean, trim off both ends, remove the bitter core, and rinse thoroughly again. Place the lotus seeds in a clay pot with fresh water, bring to a boil over medium-high heat, add pork fat, cover, reduce to low heat, and braise for 30 minutes. Remove the lotus seeds.
3. Peel and pit the longan, then wrap each lotus seed with a piece of longan flesh. Place them in the original cooking liquid, add rock sugar, and bring to a boil. Reduce to low heat and simmer for one hour until tender and soft. Remove from heat, discard the pork fat, and stir in osmanthus syrup. This dish features soft and smooth longan, tender lotus seeds, and a sweet, fragrant broth.