Excerpt from BAO London’s restaurant cookbook by chefs Erchen Chang, Shing Tat Chung, and Wai Ting Chung, published by Phaidon.
Nothing beats a juicy spiced chicken nugget with a crisp lettuce leaf and a punchy slice of raw onion. It’s a small, perfectly formed BAO with just the right amount of seasoning, spice and juiciness from the chicken. The nuggets are so good by themselves, too; just mop them up with our hot sauce.
Makes 5 BAOs
For the chicken nugget seasoning:
2 teaspoons chicken spiced flour mix (see page 92)
2 g onion powder
2 g garlic powder
3 g caster (superfine) sugar
2 g salt
pinch lemon zest
9 g sesame oil
3 g premium soy sauce
3 g cornflour (cornstarch)
For the chicken nuggets:
90 g minced (ground) chicken breast
90 g minced (ground) chicken thighs
¼ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon chicken nugget seasoning (see above)
¼ teaspoon caster (superfine) sugar
pinch of salt
light grating of lemon zest
¾ teaspoon sesame oil
¼ teaspoon premium soy sauce
¼ teaspoon cornflour (cornstarch)
vegetable oil , for deep-frying
For the panko coating:
3 eggs, beaten
100 g plain (all-purpose) flour
100 g panko breadcrumbs
50 g tapioca flour (starch)
15 g chicken spiced flour mix (see page 92)
To serve:
5 steamed Sesame BAO (see page 49)
5 iceberg lettuce leaves
5 tablespoons Sichuan Mayonnaise (see page 230)
Hot Sauce (see page 231), to taste
5 slices onion
Chicken nugget seasoning
First make the chicken nugget seasoning by mixing all the ingredients in a bowl. It will make a little more than you need for this recipe.
Chicken nuggets
Mix together all the ingredients in a large bowl. Shape the mixture into five 35 g balls.
Panko coating
Put the eggs and the plain (all-purpose) flour into separate shallow dishes, then combine the panko breadcrumbs, tapioca flour (Starch) and chicken spice in a third dish. Position the dishes in front of you so you can move easily between them, from left to right. Toss one of the chicken nuggets in the flours, then use your left hand to coat it in the egg mixture before placing it into the breadcrumbs (be careful that your left hand does not touch the breadcrumbs itself). Using your right hand, coat the eggy nugget in the breadcrumbs, then transfer to a plate. (This method allows you to work as efficiently as possible, and means the breadcrumbs won’t become clumpy.) Repeat with the remaining chicken nuggets.
To assemble
Reheat the sesame BAO following the directions on page 49.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a deep, heavy-based saucepan to 180°C/350°F, or until a cube of ginger sizzles and browns in 10 seconds. Carefully place the nuggets, in two batches, in the hot oil and deep-fry for 2 ½ minutes until cooked through, golden brown and crisp, then remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
Heat a dry frying pan (skillet) over a medium heat. Remove the BAO from the steamer, then toast, cut sides down, in the pan.
Place a leaf of iceberg lettuce on the bottom half of a BAO, followed by a chicken nugget, then top with a 1 tablespoon of the Sichuan mayo, a drizzle of hot sauce and finish with a sliced onion ring. Top with a BAO lid. Repeat with the remaining BAO and fillings.
More recipes from the BAO London Restaurant Cookbook
More about the BAO London Restaurant Cookbook
Indulge in the flavors of Taiwanese cuisine with BAO London’s inaugural cookbook from esteemed publisher Phaidon. Uncover 100 of the restaurant’s signature recipes, including their famous pork bao buns, mouthwatering noodle dishes, crispy fried chicken, and more, all with stunning visuals and detailed instructions.
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