Chicken And Shiitake Mushroom Bao

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 tablespoon canola or peanut oil
  • 1/3 cup chopped shallot or red onion
  • 2 large dried shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, reconstituted, and cut into small dice (1/4 cup)
  • 1/4 cup chopped garlic chives or scallion , green part only
  • 1/2 teaspoon plus 1 or 2 pinches of salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black or white pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon fish sauce or light (regular) soy sauce
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons oyster sauce
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons egg white, lightly beaten
  • 6 ounces coarsely ground or hand-chopped boneless, skinless chicken thigh
  • 2 tablespoons cup coarsely chopped cilantro, leafy tops only
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger

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INSTRUCTIONS

  • Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot, and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring frequently, until they start to caramelize. Add the mushroom, sprinkle in 1 or 2 pinches of salt, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until fragrant. Remove from the heat, stir in the garlic chives. Set aside to cool completely.
  • In a larger bowl, combine together the cooled vegetables, chicken, cilantro, and ginger.  Stir together, making sure the ingredients have commingled well.
  • In a small bowl, combine the 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper, sugar, fish sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, cornstarch and egg white. Beat with a fork to blend well. Pour over the chicken and vegetable mixture, and stir, fold, and mash everything together into a cohesive mixture.
  • Cover the filling with plastic wrap and set aside for 30 minutes, or refrigerate overnight, returning it to room temperature before assembling the bao.

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