How to Make Shredded Chicken Steamed Buns

Substituting Chicken for Duck

Feb 7, 2009 Sapna Nayyar-Pellicane

Steamed buns are the base of a good sandwich, Chinese style. These fluffy white buns are delicious, whether on their own or with savory fillings.

Steamed buns are a staple in Northern China. They have been around for 1800 years, says Kid Diva, a food lover based in England and Singapore, in her April 2008 blog, "Chinese Baozi (or Steamed Buns)" on her web site, The Sugar Bar. According to a legend, steamed buns were invented by Zhuge Liang, a famous military strategist, Kid Diva explains in her April 2008 blog. He created this bread as a way to sustain his army when they fell ill on their way to South China, says Kid Diva. She adds that the original bun is called a "mantou," which literally means "flour head," while the filled bun is called a "baozi."

These buns can be purchased from a Chinese supermarket, and are often available frozen. They are then steamed in a bamboo steamer. Or they can be made from scratch, using yeast. They can even be made from buttermilk biscuit dough, according to Carolyn Jung in her February 2007 blog, "Easy-as-can-be Chinese steamed buns" on Mercury News. Jung recommends taking the dough out of the tube, separating it out, and steaming it for 10 minutes to yield buns with a slightly golden color.

This original but simplified recipe will focus on working with frozen buns to make a substitute for the famous roast duck dish -- steamed buns with cooked shredded chicken. This helps cooks who are unable or unwilling to buy duck.

Ingredients & Preparation Tips

  • Steam the buns and allow them to cool. They can also be made with buttermilk dough, as recommended by Jung.
  • Use onions or cucumbers if the scallions used in the original roast duck dish are not available. Onions will give the dish a little more flavor while cucumbers will add to the delicate flavor of the buns.
  • Thoroughly wash the chicken. Shred the chicken and cook thoroughly until it is no longer bright pink, mixing it with hoisin sauce. Use any method but deep frying since the texture should not be breaded. If using chicken with bones, save the bones for soup by boiling them.
  • The chicken can be simmered in hoisin sauce and water instead of oil. This alternative method makes this dish less fattening.

Steamed Buns with Shredded Chicken in Hoisin Sauce

Ingredients:

  • 1 packet frozen buns, thawed and steamed
  • 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, or 4 chicken legs, or 4 chicken thighs
  • 1/2 cup Hoisin sauce
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce (optional)
  • 1/2 cup cucumbers, chopped
  • 1/2 cup onions, chopped (optional), or scallions if available
  • 1/4 teaspoon minced garlic (optional)
  • 1/2 cup water

Directions:

  1. Set aside thawed and steamed buns and cover to keep warm.
  2. Thoroughly wash chicken. Shred meat from breast, legs, or thighs. Simmer in hoisin sauce, soy sauce if using, and add water in order to prevent chicken from sticking to pan. Remove from heat when blended.
  3. If using onions or scallions, and/or garlic, heat skillet or wok, and add oil. Add onions and/or garlic and then turn heat up to medium in order to prevent spluttering. Cook until light golden brown. Add to chicken mixture.
  4. Assemble buns. Add chicken mixture and chopped cucumbers. Serve like sandwiches with a clear soup or crisp salad with ginger dressing.

These delicious steamed buns with shredded chicken yield 4 servings

The copyright of the article How to Make Shredded Chicken Steamed Buns in Asian Cuisine is owned by Sapna Nayyar-Pellicane. Permission to republish How to Make Shredded Chicken Steamed Buns in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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