Do you remember the controversial maybe even disturbing short film before Incredibles 2? The one where the mom eats her son who is a small steamed bun? Even though it might have been disturbing, you have to admit that the buns the mother and her son made together looked delicious!
The food in the short film is called bao and it is a traditional Chinese steamed bun that typically contains pork as its filling. My mom and I were inspired to try to make our own and maybe after this article; you'll be inspired, too!
Here are the ingredients you will need:
1. Premix flour steamed bao (you can find this at the Asian market)
2. Steamer (we used bamboo steamers from the Asian market)
3. Ground chicken breast
4. Chopped Portabella mushrooms
5. Chopped green onions
The first thing we did was prepare the filling for the bun. Traditionally, pork is supposed to be in the bun, but we decided that we would do chicken instead.
1. Add grapeseed oil to a large, frying pan
2. Add minced ginger, onions, and mushrooms (measurements are optional)
3. Add the ground chicken breast
4. Add the seasoning as you continue to sauté all the ingredients.
5. Season with soy sauce, hoisin sauce and ginger (measurements are optional)
Make sure your center stays heated while you start to make the bun. The instructions for how to make the buns are on the packaging of the bun powder. Once you mix all the ingredients, you have to knead the dough for quite a while.
You can always make your buns from scratch. You can find a recipe for homemade steamed buns here.
Once the dough is kneaded, separate it into 18 strips. It is difficult to roll out the dough at first, but it becomes easier after a while. Once the dough is divided, roll them out into flat circular shapes and place the filling in the center of the dough. After you put the filling in the center of the bun, grab all of the edges of the dough together and twist them at the top, forming a swirling shape at the top of the bun.
We placed four bao on wax paper in one steamer and steamed them for 15 minutes. Each bao must be placed on separate sheets of wax paper. After 15 minutes, you have your bao!
This is a family-friendly activity that not only entertains your family, but it also feeds them! Celebrate the Year of the Pig by making bao with your friends and family! It's an experience that brings people together and gives them memories to cherish for a lifetime!
