LARKIN CEN’S GUA BAO PORK BELLY BUNS

INGREDIENTS (Makes 20 Bao’s) For the Bao buns: 500g Asian Bao flour/or strong white bread flour 225g milk 10g fresh yeast 75g sugar 50g unsalted butter ½ tbsp baking powder

METHOD:

1. Combine all the ingredients together and knead for five minutes. Let the bread mixture rest for one hour. Cover with a damp cloth to stop a crust forming.

2. Punch the dough down and turn out onto a clean work surface. Divide the dough in half gently roll the pieces into logs.

3. Cut the pieces into smaller pieces of around the size of a ping pong ball, roll into a ball and place onto parchment paper.

4. Flatten one ball with the palm of your hand and lay a greased chopstick in the middle and fold the bun over. Let the Bao’s rest for 15 minutes.

5. Steam the buns in a bamboo steamer with parchment paper to stop them sticking. They will only take 12 minutes. Either eat these fresh or they can be frozen and re-steamed.

For the pork: 500g pork belly 200g Wing Yip Hoi Sin 50g smooth peanut butter 10g Wing Yip Oyster Sauce 10g Wing Yip Light Soy Sauce 20g sugar

METHOD:

1. Mix the Hoi Sin, oyster, light soy sauces and sugar together and pour over the pork bellies and rub in, saving all the excess marinade for later use.

2. Place the pork bellies into a baking dish and cover with water or chicken stock and seal with foil.

3. Put into the oven for two hours 40 minutes at 160°C.

4. Take off all excess fat and shred. Add some of the cooking liqueur back through the meat to keep it moist. It’s better overnight as the cooking liqueur is absorbed by the meat.

5. To serve add some marinade, cucumber and some spring onions and crushed peanuts to each bao with the meat. Use some of the excess marinade to season the pork.