Imagine breaking into a pastry so fragile that it shatters into dozens of delicate shards, revealing a steaming, fragrant https://www.timetoeatarlington.com/ interior of savory scallions. Welcome to Crab Shell Pastry (Xie Ke Huang, 蟹壳黄)—one of Shanghai’s most iconic teahouse treats.

Despite its name, this classic street food contains absolutely no seafood. It earns its title purely from its appearance: a perfectly round, golden-brown crust heavily encrusted with sesame seeds, mimicking a roasted river crab shell.

The magic lies in a classic Chinese dual-dough lamination technique (Su Bing):

• The Water-Oil Dough: Made from flour, water, and lard. This forms an elastic, gluten-bonded outer blanket.
• The Oil Pastry Dough: Made simply from flour and lard with no water. It remains a soft, crumbly paste.

When wrapped together and rolled repeatedly, the oil paste acts as a barrier, preventing the elastic layers from fusing. During baking, water vaporizes into steam, forcing the layers to puff up independently.

• Prep/Cook Time: 60 minutes
• Yield: 12 pastries

• Water-Oil Dough: 150g all-purpose flour, 30g lard, 75ml warm water, 1/4 tsp baking soda.
• Oil Pastry Dough: 100g all-purpose flour, 50g lard.
• Filling: 5 finely chopped scallions, 80g minced pork fatback (or 1 tbsp sesame oil), 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp white pepper, 1 tsp chicken powder.
• Topping: 1 beaten egg, 1/2 cup white sesame seeds.

1. Form the Doughs: Knead the Water-Oil dough until smooth. Mix the Oil Pastry dough into a uniform paste. Rest both wrapped in plastic for 20 minutes.
2. Mix Filling: Thoroughly combine the scallions, seasonings, and pork fatback in a small bowl.
3. Encase: Divide both doughs into 12 portions. Flatten a Water-Oil disk, place an Oil Pastry ball inside, and pinch tightly to seal.
4. Laminate: Roll each ball into a long rectangle. Roll it up tightly like a Swiss roll. Turn 90 degrees, flatten lengthwise, and roll up tight a second time. Rest for 10 minutes.
5. Shape: Press your thumb into the center of the roll, bringing both ends upward. Flatten into a round wrapper. Add 1 tablespoon of filling, pinch to seal, and press into a slightly domed disk.
6. Coat: Brush the top with egg wash. Press firmly into the sesame seeds.
7. Bake: Arrange on a lined tray. Bake at 200°C (400°F) for 15 minutes until golden and puffed. Serve piping hot.

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