Bao
Chika
Bao
chicken / leek / sambal
#Story
Time
Bow-Chika-Bow-Wow!!
What an iconic phrase, no? Surely everyone has heard this at some point in their lives? Or at least those of you that are over 25!? My cousin and soul sister Nicole and I used to say it over and over again before we’d even reached our teenage years. I’m not sure if she knew it’s meaning or not, she was a lot more savvy than me even with the three years between us. I certainly didn’t know.
Bow-chika-bow-wow: Verbal means of referencing a sexual encounter, act or deed.
Also used to identify someone or thing that is sexual.
- Urban Dictionary
The phrase was originally coined by Jordan Brady, a comedian who back in 1990 did a sketch about the music playing in the background during porno’s in the early 70’s. Brady, “You know what I’m talking about it was just bow-chika-bow-wow!”
I think I just thought it meant something like ‘that’s cool!’I was quite naive as a kid. Don’t get me wrong I probably would have still done all the stupid highly inappropriate things I did even if I was a bit more clued up. The things we got up to together were pretty scandalous. Such as one of the tamer times when we got our poor wee Granny to do the lick out sign with her tongue sticking out between her two fingers. Beautifully posed for a photo with her two gleamingly innocent 9 and 12 year old granddaughters. As you can imagine that photo didn’t go down too well with the rest of the family.
It’s just funny how popular culture is so appealing. ‘Culture’ shouldn’t even be in the term! How many things have you said without knowing what it actually meant? I probably still do it now!
Jade x
Junk’s Jam:
Serves 4
Hey!
So we’re obsessed with these beauties! Especially Jade! The dough of the bao is so delicate and delectable. Also, who doesn’t love a cheeky centre filling? The middle is bursting with flavour: smokey; garlicy; spicey; onioney; meaty joy. I’m not able to describe how fabulous it is. Not to forget about the crispy top which gives that extra decent texture and junky we vibes that we love.
Equipment…
>Wire Rack
The Recipe
Stage #1
>The Prep
Confit Chicken
4 Chicken Thighs
Marinade:
2 Lemon Grass
5 Garlic
2 Banana Shallots
15g Ginger
2 Red Chillis
1 Tbsps Coriander Seeds
10g Salt
10g Soy Sauce
150g Water
150g Butter
1 Green Chillis
2 Spring Onions
10g Coriander
1/2 Lime (Juice)
Table Salt
Cracked Black Pepper
Tin Foil
Greaseproof Paper
Peel and roughly chop the Lemon Grass, Garlic, Shallots & Ginger. Roughly chop the Chillis. Pop all the ingredients for your Marinade into a blender and blitz to a paste.
Get down and dirty with your Chicken Thighs. Rub the Marinade all over them and pop in the fridge for an hour.
Pre-heat the oven to 140ºc.
Get a decent sized deep tray and place the marinaded Thighs, Water and Butter in together. Cover the tray with 2 layers of tin foil and place in the oven for about 3 hours - The Chicken should be falling off the bone.
Once cooked. Remove the Chicken from the stock, take off and discard the bones & skin. Gently shred the Chicken using a fork or your fingers!
Next, finely chop the Green Chillis, Spring Onions and Coriander. and mix through the Shredded Chicken. Season with Salt & Pepper to taste.
Roll the Confit Chicken into little balls: approx 23g each will be perfect. If you’ve not got scales just try to make sure they’re all an even size and not too big!
Place your balls (no, not your actual balls ya filthy Bastard!) onto a baking tray lined with Greaseproof Paper and set in the freezer.
The Bun
You can do this by hand following a basic bread making process but if you have a stand mixer your life will be so much easier!
475g Strong Flour
250g Whole Fat Milk
16g Fresh Yeast
38g Sugar
10g Salt
2 Whole Eggs
55g Cold Unsalted Butter
Clingfilm
Place the Flour, Salt, Sugar and Yeast into the mixer bowl with a dough hook attachment and mix gently on speed 4 (Low/Medium).
In a pan, heat the Milk to approx 35ºc and then pour into the Flour. Continue to mix for an other 5 minutes on a medium speed. Crack the Eggs in one at a time until fully incorporated.
Dice the Butter and add it in bit by bit until homogenised through the Dough.
Cover the bowl with Clingfilm and leave the Dough to prove for an hour.
Soy & Sambal Mayo
2 Egg Yolks
5g Mustard
10g Rice Wine Vinegar
12g Double Deluxe Soy Sauce
15g Sambal
220g Vegetable Oil
Table Salt
Lemon JuiceOR
Get rid of the Oil, Mustard & Yolks and add 200g of Hellmans Mayonnaise instead.
Place everything apart from the Oil into a blender and pulse until fully incorporated.
Slowly add the Oil to emulsify together.
Season with Salt and Lemon Juice to taste. If you fancy a bigger kick then you can always add a couple more dashes of hot sauce!
Crispy Leeks
1 Leek
Table Salt
Vegetable Oil
Half the Leek and finely shred it length ways: the finer the better !
Preheat a deep fryer to 160oC .
Once hot, drop the Shredded Leek into the Oil and cook until golden brown. Keep an eye on it - it wont be long!
Take out the oil and drain on kitchen paper and allow to cool slightly. Once the Leek has cooled enough not to burn yourself, gently roll the strands into little balls. Season with Salt to taste.
Junks Spice Mix
1 Tsp Togarashi
1 Tsp White Sesame Seeds
1 Tbsps Crispy Garlic
1 Tbsps Crispy Fried Shallots
1Tsp M.S.G
1/2 Tsp Chinese Five Spice
1 Tsp Maldon Sea Salt
1 Tsp Cracked Black Pepper
Mix all the ingredients together and store in an airtight container. Job’s a good un’.
Garnish
15g Chives
Junk’s Spice Mix
Finely Chop the Chives.
Stage #2
>Cook it baby!
After the hour knock back the dough and weigh out into 30g Balls.
Take the Confit Chicken out the freezer and gently wrap the dough around the chicken balls. Roll between your palm and the worktop and place on a greaseproof tray. Cover and prove for another hour.
Bake in a preheated oven at 180ºc for 8 Minutes. Turn down the temperature to 150ºc and cook for a further 3 minutes.
Rest on a Wire Rack.