Steamed bao buns with fish cake and asparagus salad

Step-by-step preparation

Cooking time: 13 hr

1. STEP 1

   

   How to make steamed bao buns with fish cake and asparagus salad? First, prepare all the ingredients for making Korean soy asparagus and carrot salad.

2. STEP 2

   

   Soak soy asparagus in boiled water at room temperature for 10-12 hours, changing the water every 2-3 hours.

3. STEP 3

   

   Wash the carrots in running water with a brush, peel them and use a special grater for Korean salads to chop the carrots. If you don’t have such a grater, then the carrots should be cut into thin strips. Place the chopped carrots in a salad bowl, add sugar and salt, pour in table vinegar and lightly crush the carrots with your hands so that they release the juice. Let the carrots brew for 20 minutes.

4. STEP 4

   

   Place the soaked asparagus in a colander and rinse with cool boiled water. Cut the soy asparagus into pieces 4-5 cm long and add it to the chopped carrots, pour in the soy sauce and stir.

5. STEP 5

   

   Take the onion, peel it, cut it into half rings. Peel two cloves of garlic and crush them with the flat side of a knife. Heat a frying pan on the stove, pour in vegetable oil, add chopped onion and 2 crushed cloves of garlic. Fry the vegetables over medium heat until fragrant, then remove the vegetables from the pan and season the Korean salad with the resulting aromatic oil.

6. STEP 6

   

   Take the remaining 2 cloves of garlic, peel and chop with a press and place in a salad bowl. Wash the parsley under running water, dry, chop and add the chopped parsley to the salad. Mix all the ingredients thoroughly so that all the vegetables are soaked in the dressing. Place the soy asparagus and carrot salad in the refrigerator and let it brew for 2 hours.

7. STEP 7

   

   Prepare all the ingredients to make the steamed Asian bao buns.

8. STEP 8

   

   Pour warm water into the bowl for kneading the dough (36-40 degrees, if the temperature is higher, the yeast will die). Add dry yeast, sugar, vegetable oil, stir and let stand for 10-15 minutes. Small bubbles should form on the surface of the water. This indicates that the yeast has “woke up”. If there are no changes on the surface, then the yeast is not active, you need to use another one, otherwise the food may be spoiled.

9. STEP 9

   

   Take flour, sift through a sieve with salt and baking powder. Start adding flour to the liquid part in portions and knead the dough first with a wooden spoon, and when it comes together, transfer it to the table and continue kneading with your hands until smooth for 10 minutes. You may need less or more flour, depending on the required consistency.

10. STEP 10

    

    Place the finished dough in a bowl, cover with a towel to keep out the light, and place in a warm place for about 2 hours, during which time it should increase by about 2 times.

11. STEP 11

    

    When the dough rises, knead it. Place the dough on a work surface and roll into a sausage shape. Divide the sausage into 6 equal parts (approximately 100 grams each), and roll each part into a ball, cover with a towel and leave to proof for 10 minutes.

12. STEP 12

    

    After 10 minutes, take one ball of dough and roll it into an oblong shape. Grease the surface of the flatbread with vegetable oil using a pastry brush, fold the flatbread in half and lightly roll the top with a rolling pin. Hide the bun under a towel so it doesn’t get chapped, take the next ball and do the same procedure.

13. STEP 13

    

    Place racks in a steamer filled with water and add the bao buns. Give the buns time to rise. After 10 minutes, turn the heat to high, bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and steam the buns for about 5-7 minutes. Remove the steamer from the heat and let the buns stand inside the steamer for another 1-2 minutes. Depending on the type of steamer and the thickness of the dough, the cooking time may vary.

14. STEP 14

    

    While the bao buns are cooking, heat a frying pan on the stove, add vegetable oil and add the breaded fish cutlets. Fry the cutlets on both sides over medium heat until golden brown. Let the cutlets cool.

15. STEP 15

    

    All that remains is to put everything together: open the bao bun, add Korean asparagus and carrot salad, sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds (optional), place a golden fish cutlet on top and close the bao bun. Bon appetit!