Char Sui Pork Bun, De-Constructed!

WARNING: Long ingredient list…but don’t be put off!

You could call this ‘De-constructed Pork Buns or Pot Stickers’…almost. As you know (if you read this blog regularly), I am into anything that is easy and quick, can be adapted to feed 1000′s, and naturally, gotta be tasty. Pork Buns officially fill most of the said requirements, but these are easier and quicker still! And yes, I did the Char Sui Pork myself…see note below.

NEED:

Water Dough Pastry;

50g rice

150g bakers flour

50-100g boiling water

pinch salt

Oil Dough Pastry;

200g bakers flour

pinch salt

50g oil

50-70g hot water

Dressing;

1 dried chilli

2-3 cloves garlic

2cm piece peeled ginger

1-2 tbsp sugar

50g soy sauce

20g Chinese black vinegar

Juice 1 lemon

Remaining Filling;

600g Char Sui Pork, sliced

1/4 Chinese cabbage, shredded

A few sliced spring onions (shallots)

Bean shoots to taste

Crispy fried shallots to taste

500g cubed and roasted sweet potato

Roasted peanuts to taste (optional)

Few sprigs coriander

DO:

To make hot water dough, place rice into Thermomix bowl and mill for 1.5 minutes on speed 10. Add remaining ingredients and only about 50-60g of the water, mix for 6 seconds on speed 6.

With dial set to closed lid position, knead for 1 minute on Interval speed. (Add more water at this point if not forming sticky dough.) Turn out onto Silpat mat and wrap tightly. Allow to rest for at least 10 minutes.

Meanwhile make the oil dough by placing all ingredients into Thermomix bowl and mixing for 6 seconds on speed 6. With dial set to closed lid position, knead for 1.5 minutes on Interval speed. Wrap tightly and allow to rest for at least 10 mintues.

Place both doughs back into Thermomix bowl and with dial set to closed lid position, knead for 2 minutes on Interval speed.

Roll into long sausage shape and cut into rounds which you then roll flat into large circles before placing into a hot, well oiled fry pan. Add a ‘slosh’ of  water and cover the pan immediately so that the wrap is steamed. When the water has almost evaporated, remove lid and when golden, turn and brown the other side. Set aside, but keep warm until service.

To make Dressing, place all ingredients into Thermomix bowl and blend together for 15 seconds on speed 6. Set aside.

Assemble wraps as you would any other, salad, sweet potato, dressing, pork, garnishes and more dressing…don’t forget anything now! Is there something you would like me to ‘de-construct’ to make it simpler? Let me know…perhaps that should be my new alter ego…Recipe Doctor.com, or De-Constructs R Us! (Only in my spare time of course!)

Char Sui Pork

Make the Char Sui marinade by placing to taste honey, sugar, oyster sauce, five spice powder, soy sauce, Chinese black vinegar, Chinese wine, chilli, garlic and ginger into Thermomix bowl and mixing until blended. Heat for 4 minutes at 60C on speed 1 to form a syrup. Marinate up to 2 kg of pork fillet slices for several hours. (I marinated for around 24 hours) Cook under a very hot grill until charred and fragrant. Slice as needed.

I have made this many times over the years and have added a few touches here and there…needed a blog post this week, got invited to bring a dish tonight to friends, and voila, two birds with one stone. Here we have Chicken Kaukswe, a Burmese (P.C. Myanmar) curry, very mild, very fragrant with any number of possible variations. The recipe I worked from originally was one my mother used to make who had been given it by a Burmese friend, and because I like to think I’m Australia’s answer to Martha Stewart, I have tweaked it a few times, and Thermomixed and induction-ed it as well…enjoy! (This is not unlike my Mexican Chicken Soup, though different flavours completely…but the same help yourself idea…which you will remember I love!)

NEED:

1 whole free range chicken

3-4 tbsp turmeric

enough water to almost cover chicken

200g rinsed yellow lentils

1-2 tins coconut cream

salt to taste

juice 2 lemons

Paste:

5-6 cloves garlic

2 large brown onions peeled and quartered

3-4 cm peeled fresh ginger

3cm shrimp cake/paste

2 dried chillies

2 tbsp turmeric

50g oil

Accompaniments:

5-6 sliced hard boiled eggs

1/2 small finely shredded cabbage

5-6 spring onions/shallots sliced

crispy  noodles

soft egg noodles

coriander/cilantro sprigs

sliced fresh chillies

sliced white onions

lemon wedges

DO:

Rub chicken with turmeric and place into large pot. Fill almost to cover the chicken with water and simmer on Induction 6 for approximately 30 minutes or until chicken is well cooked. Turn chicken over and allow to cool before removing flesh from bones and discarding bones.

Make curry paste by putting all paste ingredients into Thermomix bowl and chopping for 4 seconds on speed 7. Scrape down lid and sides of bowl and repeat. Scrape down before sautéing for 4 minutes at Varoma temperature on speed 1. Place into pot with de-boned chicken and stock. Add lentils and cook on Induction 5 for 15 minutes.

Reduce temperature to Induction 4 and add 1 tin of coconut cream, salt and lemon juice. Simmer for up to an hour or until flavours are well blended and lentils are disintegrated. Add additional coconut cream if soup thickens up too much or as needed. (It bears noting that this tastes better the next day…so the Curry No Hurry adage holds…the flavours meld together better if time is on your side.)

Prepare accompaniments in separate dishes and allow everyone to help themselves, ladling the hot curry soup last over the top of noodles, cabbage, herbs, onions and eggs etc.

The great thing about this dish is that it can serve as many as you need it to, simply by adding accompaniments, or lentils and stock ad infinitum!

Well I had a Thai cooking class last night and had requests to post the recipes…so here is one at least (the best one!) Also a photo of my work kitchen before the excitement began!

I will post the other recipes in later posts…so y’all come back now y’hear?

NEED:

3/4 cup jasmine rice

3/4 cup caster sugar

1  cup water

1 400 mls tin coconut cream

1 teaspoon salt

SYRUP:

1-2 400 mls cans coconut cream

1 cup caster sugar

2 teaspoons salt.

DO:

Combine rice in water and coconut cream with sugar and salt.

Cook on Induction 6 bringing to the boil and then continue to cook until all liquid is absorbed.

Keep adding water if necessary.

You want to have a nice sticky consistency.

Set aside or keep warm on Induction 2 until ready to serve.

SYRUP:

Combine all ingredients and cook on Induction 3 (low heat) until thickened.

Taste test. The syrup should be quite salty.

SERVE:

Scoop rice mix into bowls.

Drizzle generously with syrup and decorate with fruit of choice. In Thailand they will usually serve this with fresh sliced mango. In the absence of mango on the shelf, I chose Kiwi fruit with passionfruit pulp.

To be more authentic you can use glutinous rice instead of jasmine rice, but it absorbs a lot more liquid and may need soaking overnight. You can purchase glutinous rice at most Asian supermarkets.

DO:
Mix fish sauce, oyster sauce, stock and sugar in small bowl.
Heat oil in wok and stir fry garlic until light brown. (Induction 6)
Add chilli and meat. Stir fry on high (Induction max) for 2 minutes until meat is cooked.
Add onion and fish sauce mix and stir fry for another minute.
Add snow peas and basil leaves and stir fry until the basil begins to wilt.
Serve immediately  with steamed rice.

TO STEAM RICE:
In a flat ceramic dish layer 1 cup of rice to 2 cups water or stock.
Process in Steam Oven for 25 minutes or until water is absorbed.
Fluff with a fork.

NEED:

1 Cup Rice
500g Pork Mince
4 Spring onions Chopped
1 Tablespoon chopped water chestnuts
3 Cloves garlic crushed or 3 teaspoons of crushed garlic from a jar
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon salt

Dipping sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
2 Teaspoons sweet chilli sauce
Splash of lime juice

DO:

Soak rice in cold water for 30 minutes then drain well.
Combine all other ingredients and mix well.  Rolls into walnut sized balls and coat each ball in rice.  Place in a single layer on steamer tray and steam for 25 minutes or until rice is tender. Mix ingredients for dipping sauce together serve with cooked balls.

A word about Demeyere pans, they have a 30 year warranty, they are THE BEST pans on the planet and if you are happy putting K-Mart tires on your Ferrari, then go ahead and use some other brand, but the Demeyere range are everything they claim to be! FYI, they are not just for Induction, but can be used on any cooking medium with ease and great results.
NEED:
300gm prawn tails, peeled
Small handful coriander, (cilantro)
1 spring onion finely chopped
Zest of 1 lime
2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 egg white
Salt and pepper
¼ cup coconut cream
Flavorless oil for frying

DO:
Place all ingredients except coconut cream and oil in food processor
and blend to a coarse puree.
With motor running add coconut cream in a slow stream and mix until evenly combined.
Heat lightly oiled fry pan and cook small spoonfuls of mixture 2-3 minutes on each side
until springy to the touch. Serve on rocket leaves with salsa.
This recipe can also be prepared using chicken mince or white fish.

SERVE:
With Carribean Salsa (recipe on this site)

OR: Microwave Grill skin side up for approx 5 minutes.
Pour remaining marinade in a saucepan, bring to a boil and reduce.
Place fillets on a serving platter and pour reduced marinade over the top.
Garnish with fresh steamed asparagus and lemon slices.
Recipe may also be used for salmon steaks.
This recipe can be increased easily to accomodate more than 2 servings.