Island Dreaming in Oklahoma

I have many fond food memories from my childhood. When I think of Siopao I am reminded of visits to the bakery with my  parents, and peering into the glass case that held these lovely buns with delicious savory fillings.

There were usually several varieties, all were marked on top with a little dot of food coloring, so that the clerk would be able to distinguish one variety from another. I would always look up at the clerk and ask for one with a yellow dot (chicken), which was my absolute favorite.

I recently got a copy of Andrea Nguyen’s new cookbook Asian Dumplings: Mastering Gyoza, Spring Rolls, Samosas, and More.

I love this book. It is an in depth tutorial on all things dumpling and more. Andrea even tells you how to make your own spring roll wrappers, something I have only purchased at a grocery store before getting this book. There are so many really great recipes that I really had a tough time just deciding where to begin.

The recipe I chose to do from this book is Filipino Chicken and Egg Buns – Siopao. The filling for this is delicious enough to eat on it’s own or over some steamed rice, but please don’t do that. These buns are delicious and worth every ounce of effort you put into them.

Filipino Chicken and Egg Buns Siopao (Pronounced – Shew pow)
Filling:

2 tsps light (or regular) soy sauce

2 tsps lightly packed brown sugar

2 tsps of oyster sauce

1 pinch of salt

¼ tsp black pepper

1 ½ Tbsps canola oil

2 scallions (white and green parts chopped)

1 large clove garlic minced

½ pound boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into peanut sized pieces

1 Tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 1 ½ Tbsps water

1 ¼ pounds  Basic Yeast Dough (recipe follows)

2 hard boiled eggs, peeled and cut lengthwise into 6 wedges each

1. To make the filling, in a small bowl combine the soy sauce, brown sugar, oyster sauce, salt and pepper. Set these seasonings aside.

2. Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the scallions and garlic, and cook, stirring constantly for about 30 seconds, or until aromatic and slightly softened. Add the chicken, stir, and add the seasoning mixture. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 2 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Give the cornstarch mixture  a final stir and add to the chicken. Continue cooking for about 30 seconds, until the filling has thickened.

Transfer to a bowl and set aside to cool completely before using. The filling can be prepared up to 2 days in advance, covered with plastic wrap, and refrigerated. Return to room temperature before using. There should be a generous cup of filling.

3. Transfer the dough to a very lightly floured work surface, gather it into a ball if needed, and then flatten it into a thick disc. Cut the disc in half, and cover one half with plastic wrap or an inverted bowl, to prevent drying while you work on the other half.

4. Roll the dough into a 12 – 14 inch log, and then cut it into 6 pieces. Halve the log first to make it easier to cut even sized pieces. The tapered end pieces should be cut a little longer than the rest. Lightly roll each piece into a ball, and then use the palm of your hand to flatten each ball into a ¼ inch thick disk.

Use a wooden dowel style rolling pin to roll the pieces into circles about          3 3/4 inches in diameter. The rim of each circle should be thinner than the center; keeping a 1½ inch wide belly ensures consistent thickness all over the finished bun. Lay the finished circles on your work surface, lightly dusting their bottoms if you fear them sticking.

5. Cut twelve 3½ squares of parchment paper and set aside. To assemble the buns, hold a dough circle in slightly cupped hand. Use a spoon to center 1½ tsps of filling on the dough circle, pressing down very gently and keeping about 1/2 to 3/4 inch of the dough clear on all sides; your hand will automatically close slightly. Add a wedge of the egg, with the curved side down so that when you gather up the dough, the egg will naturally bend and match the round bun shape. Put one Tablespoon of filling on top of the egg.

Use the thumb of the hand cradling the bun to push down the filling while the fingers of the other hand pull up the dough edge and pleat and pinch the rim together to form a closed satchel. Completely enclose the filling by pinching and twisting the dough closed.

Place the finished bun on a piece of parchment pleated side down. Place the prepared buns with parchment paper on to a steamer tray or baking sheet spacing them 1 inch apart and 1 inch away from the edge to allow the dough to comfortably rise. Cover loosely and allow to rise in a warm draft free space, for 30 minutes or until doubled in size. Work the other half of the dough and form the remaining buns.

6. About 10 minutes before the rising time is over, ready the water for steaming. I use a 14 inch wok and fill with approximately 4 cups of water. Bring that to a boil, turn it down to a simmer to keep it hot. When the buns have risen, steam them up to 2 trays at a time for about 18 minutes, or until they have puffed up and look dry.

Remove trays and transfer to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes. Repeat the steaming process, replenishing water as need until all the buns have been steamed.

Arrange the buns on a platter with the parchment still on. Remove the parchment before eating the buns out of hand. Refrigerate leftover buns and steam 6 to 8 minutes to reheat.

Basic Yeast Dough

1  1/2 teaspoons rapid-rise instant yeast

3/4 cup warm water

2 Tablespoons canola oil

2 Tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

12 1/2 ounces  (2.5 cups) bleached or unbleached all purpose flower

1. Put the yeast in a small bowl, add the water and set aside for 1 minute to soften. Whisk in the oil to blend and dissolve the yeast. Set aside.

2. To make the dough in a food processor, combine the sugar, baking powder and flour in the work bowl. Pulse 2 or 3 times to combine. With the motor on, pour  the yeast mixture through the feed tube in a steady stream and allow the machine to continue running for about 20 seconds, or until the dough starts coming together to form a ball. If this doesn’t happen, add  lukewarm water by the teaspoon until it comes together. Let the machine continue to for 45 – 60 seconds until it forms a large ball and the sides are clean.  Press on the finished dough. It should feel medium-soft and tacky but should not stick to your fingers.

3. Lightly oil a clean bowl and add the dough, cover with plastic wrap and put in a warm draft free area to rise for a bout 45 minutes, or until nearly doubled. The dough is now ready to use.

4. Though the dough can be left to sit for an hour or so after it has doubled, it’s best to have the filling already prepared, especially if it requires cooking and cooling.

Alternatively punch the dough down, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Return the dough to room temperature before using.

Source: Asian Dumplings  (Ten Speed Press, 2009). Posted with permission from Andrea Nguyen.

Check out Andrea’s website Asian Dumpling Tips for more fabulous tips and recipes.