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Southern-fried chicken bao with creamed corn and hot sauce
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Fluffy bao buns are filled with crispy Southern fried chicken and creamed corn in this incredible fusion recipe. A cayenne-spiked spice mix is used in the buttermilk brine and crispy coating of the chicken for an assertive, punchy warmth, while the creamed corn helps to temper the heat.
First published in 2018
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Ingredients
Metric
Imperial
Fried chicken
- 4 chicken thighs, skinless and boneless
- 1l vegetable oil, for deep-frying
Spice mix
- 2 tbsp of cayenne pepper
- 2 tsp sweet paprika
- 2 tsp celery salt
- 2 tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp garlic granules
- 2 tsp onion granules
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
Flour coating
- 150g of plain flour
- 2 tbsp of cornflour
Bao dough
- 300g of plain flour
- 4g of fast-action dried yeast
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 15g of sugar
- 160ml of whole milk, luke warm
- 15ml of vegetable oil
Creamed corn
- vegetable oil
- 1 shallot, finely diced
- 100g of sweetcorn
- 100ml of double cream
- salt
- cayenne pepper
- Worcestershire sauce
To serve
- herbs, chopped parsley or coriander works well
- hot sauce
SAVE RECIPE
Equipment
- Food mixer fitted with a dough hook
- Temperature probe
- Bamboo steamer
Method
1
Begin by making the spice mix, as it will be used in both the chicken brine and the crunchy coating. Mix all the ingredients together and store in an airtight container
- 2 tbsp of cayenne pepper
- 2 tsp paprika
- 2 tsp celery salt
- 2 tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp garlic granules
- 2 tsp onion granules
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
2
To make the buttermilk brine, stir all the ingredients together in a large bowl along with 2 tbsp of the spice mix. Prep the chicken thighs by cutting each one into three pieces, then place into the brine and mix well. Cover and leave in the fridge overnight
- 4 chicken thighs, skinless and boneless
- 250ml of buttermilk
- 1 tbsp of salt
- 1 egg
3
To make the bao dough, place the ingredients in a food mixer with a dough hook attached. Mix on low until the ingredients have come to together to form a dough, then turn up the speed and knead for 6–8 minutes, until you have a smooth dough. Alternatively, you can knead by hand for around 15 minutes
- 300g of plain flour
- 4g of fast-action dried yeast
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 15g of sugar
- 160ml of whole milk, luke warm
- 15ml of vegetable oil
4
Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with a damp tea towel and leave to prove until doubled in size (1–2 hours)
5
In the meantime, make the creamed corn by sweating the shallot in a splash of oil until soft. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 10 minutes
- vegetable oil
- 1 shallot, finely diced
- 100g of sweetcorn
- 100ml of double cream
- salt
- cayenne pepper
- Worcestershire sauce
6
Strain out most of the cream (retaining it in a bowl) and place the corn in a blender. Blend to a creamy consistency, adding some of the reserved cream if necessary. Taste and season with more salt, cayenne or Worcestershire sauce if needed
7
Flour a work surface and tip out the proved dough. Working gently so you don't knock too much of the air out, roll the dough out into a sausage. Divide into 8–10 equal balls
8
Take one of the balls and roll into an oval shape, around 6mm thick. Using your finger, lightly grease the surface with a little vegetable oil. Fold it over to form a sandwich shape and place on a square of baking paper. Cover with a cloth whilst you prepare the rest of the buns
9
Preheat a deep-fryer or deep pan of oil to 170°C. Prepare the flour coating by mixing the flour, cornflour and remaining spice mix
- 2 tbsp of cornflour
- 150g of plain flour
- 1l vegetable oil, for deep-frying
10
One by one, dip the chicken pieces into the flour, coating evenly, then place in the hot oil. Cook for 8 minutes or until the chicken reaches 75°C with a temperature probe. You will need to work in batches
11
As the chicken is frying, set up a bamboo steamer and steam the buns for 8 minutes – you will need to work in batches
12
To assemble the buns, carefully lift open the lid and add a spoonful of creamed corn, spreading on both sides. Add a piece of chicken, drizzle with hot sauce and sprinkle with herbs. Eat straight away!
First published in 2018
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