Okk so maybe the sun isn't shining just yet but a girl can dream, can't she??
Makes 6 buns (3pp for a main meal)
Ingredients:
6 Bao Buns, steamed
For the duck:
2 duck breasts, skins scored
4 tablespoons hoi sin sauce
2 tablespoons plum sauce
2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
For the Asian Slaw:
1/2 red cabbage, shredded
200g mangetout, thinly sliced lengthways
4 spring onions, thinly sliced
For the dressing:
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
To serve:
I made crispy wontons to add a crunch to the buns, I did this by lightly frying gyoza skins that I had cut into strips
Sesame Seeds
Method:
For the duck heat some oil in a pan over a high heat, once hot add the duck skin side down. Allow the fat to render and once the skin is golden flip the duck over. Cook for 15 minutes in total then leave to rest for 10minutes. Place the rest of the duck ingredients into the pan and simmer on a low light until thickened. Once the meat has rested, slice and add back into the pan, coating it in the sauce.
In a bowl combine the cabbage, mange tout and spring onions, then mix the dressing for the salad and dress the cabbage mix. Now it's time to assemble the buns! Open up the buns and load them up with duck, you can put the slaw on the inside but I decided to have it on the side. Feel free to add any other add ins to the buns such as spinach, brocolli or anything else you fancy. I then added the crispy wonton skins! Whichever way you serve it I'm sure you're gonna love it as much as I do!!
Much Love
Either way you’re definitely going to want to try this out! Bao buns are essentially an Asian sandwich; soft pillowy buns filled with your favourite asian dishes. Bao bun restaurants have been making their way to the western world in recent years, with my personal fav of Flesh and Buns in Covent Garden (rumour has it that a bao bun restaurant is opening right by my house!!! WATCH THIS SPACE!!) the concept is simple - everyone gets their own plain buns and you share fillings such as chicken teriyaki, steak and other meat/fish/veggie varieties. I love DIY inspired restaurants and so why not try it out at home! The buns are so versatile and can be bought from most asian supermarkets (shout out to Atariya which is practically my second home at this point!!) Granted I could/should have made the buns myself but y’know maybe next time! Let's get onto the main event though - the filling!! Anyone who knows me well will have probably tried my crispy asian duck at some point in our friendship. Two hours of love and affection go into the cooking of it and trust me its worth it! However I wanted this to be more of a weekday meal, when you don’t have the time (and frankly the effort!) to be nurturing a duck and basting it every 20 minutes! This recipe uses duck breasts, with a crispy skin and coated in a sticky hoisin/teriyaki sauce, what's not to like??? Obviously some people don’t like the idea of duck so feel free to sub it in for a steak or chicken breast but whatever you do
DON’T GET RID OF THE SAUCE.
THAT’S AN ORDER
DON’T DO IT
WE WON'T BE FRIENDS
EVER.
Sorry about that, just get a bit passionate when it comes to me and my duck sauce y’know? Well even if you don’t you soon will!
I paired my buns with a light and refreshing asian slaw salad but I’m sure they'd be just as good with an egg fried rice, stir fried noodles or pretty much anything else! But don’t be fooled, these will be the main attraction, just accept that anything else you make alongside will be second rate. Now the formalities are over let me give you what you’ve been waiting for, try it, love it then love me just like my housemate Sassy B who I made these for:
Makes 6 buns (3pp for a main meal)
Ingredients:
6 Bao Buns, steamed
For the duck:
2 duck breasts, skins scored
4 tablespoons hoi sin sauce
2 tablespoons plum sauce
2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
For the Asian Slaw:
1/2 red cabbage, shredded
200g mangetout, thinly sliced lengthways
4 spring onions, thinly sliced
For the dressing:
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
To serve:
I made crispy wontons to add a crunch to the buns, I did this by lightly frying gyoza skins that I had cut into strips
Sesame Seeds
Method:
For the duck heat some oil in a pan over a high heat, once hot add the duck skin side down. Allow the fat to render and once the skin is golden flip the duck over. Cook for 15 minutes in total then leave to rest for 10minutes. Place the rest of the duck ingredients into the pan and simmer on a low light until thickened. Once the meat has rested, slice and add back into the pan, coating it in the sauce.
In a bowl combine the cabbage, mange tout and spring onions, then mix the dressing for the salad and dress the cabbage mix. Now it's time to assemble the buns! Open up the buns and load them up with duck, you can put the slaw on the inside but I decided to have it on the side. Feel free to add any other add ins to the buns such as spinach, brocolli or anything else you fancy. I then added the crispy wonton skins! Whichever way you serve it I'm sure you're gonna love it as much as I do!!
Much Love