Chevonne won the Episode 10 elimination challenge on Taste Masters SA with her amazing Charcoal Bao Buns and crispy fish — and honestly, it’s no surprise. Soft, smoky buns with crunchy, tasty fish that’s easy to make at home. Want to try the winning dish?
360g flour
1 tablespoon activated charcoal
4g baking powder
5g instant yeast
35g sugar
¼ cup milk powder
35g oil
200g warm water
400g fish (yellowtail or hake)
Milk
Salt and pepper
Lemon juice
½ clove garlic
Flour
1/8 red cabbage
1 large carrot
5ml salt
¼ cup mirin
½ teaspoon Sesame oil
5ml honey
15ml toasted sesame seeds
125ml Clover creamy mayo
1/3 cup fresh coriander leaves
Zest of one lime
Juice of one lime
1 Thai green chilli
½ clove garlic
Nauc cham sauce
125ml fish sauce
30ml ml soya sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon fresh garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely chopped
2 fresh Thai green chilli, finely chopped
¼ cup lime juice
30ml coconut sugar
¼ cup fresh chopped herbs (basil, coriander, mint)
15 ml pickled ginger, finely chopped
60ml pickled ginger water
¼ cup toasted sesame seeds
2 large nori sheets
2ml salt
5ml sugar
1 potato
In the kitchen aid mixer, place all the ingredients.
With a dough hook mix until a smooth dough forms.
Oil a bowl on all sides and place the dough into the bowl.
Cover with clingwrap or a wet cloth and leave to prove until doubled in size.
Once doubled in size, knead dough by hand for 30 seconds to knock out some air bubbles.
Weigh out 50g portions and roll onto smooth balls (keep on tucking the sides under the dough until the top is smooth, then pinch the bottom together to seal.) – you can make the dough portions larger if you want a larger bao.
Turn the round ball around with the pinched side to the top. With a rolling pin roll out into long oval shapes.
Brush the surface of the dough with oil and then fold in half to form a half moon shape.
Cut small blocks of baking paper about the size of the buns, brush with oil and place the bun on top of the square.
Let them rest for ten minutes and then prove again slightly.
Steam in a bamboo basket over a pot of boiling water for 10 – 12 minutes.
(If you do not have a bamboo steaming basket, place some paper towel or a small kitchen towel at the base of a large pot, place a plate upside down onto the towel. Fill the pot with water until just below the top of the plate base. Place another plate on top of the bottom plate and then bring the water to a boil. Pack your buns onto the plate and steam for 10 – 12 minutes. Wrap the pot’s lid with a kitchen towel to ensure that water which condensates on the roof of the pot does not drip onto the buns when steaming.)
Remove from the pot and leave to cool slightly, separate the buns two sides from each other while still warm to ensure they do not rip.
Place to one side until serving.
Cut the fish fillet into 5 cm pieces. Add to a bowl.
Add the milk, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper. Mix well.
Wrap the bowl with clingwrap and place in the fridge for 1 hour to overnight to marinate.
Heat oil in a pot. Place the back of a wooden spoon into the hot oil to test if it’s hot. If the spoon bubbles the oil is hot.
In a small bowl, mix some flour with salt and pepper.
Dust the fish in the seasoned flour and fry in the hot oil until crispy, about 3 minutes.
Remove from the oil and place onto some paper towel to drain extra oil.
Season with a little bit of salt to finish off.
Cut the red cabbage and carrot into very thin strips and place into a bowl.
Drizzle with some mirin, sesame oil, salt, honey and toasted sesame seeds.
Mix well, let stand at least 10 minutes before use to marinate.
Place all the ingredients into a bowl and mix well.
Place into a small bowl to serve with bao.
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
Heat some oil in a pot.
Peel the potato with a peeler until the whole potato is thin ribbons.
Fry the potato “skins” in the hot oil until crispy.
Remove from the oil, place onto paper towel to drain extra oil and season with salt immediately.
Place the nori sheets in a hot oven until crispy, about 7 – 10 minutes.
Toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan until lightly browned.
Place the crispy potato skins, crispy nori sheets, sugar and toasted sesame seeds into a blender and blend until it forms a powder.
Place into a small bowl to serve with bao buns.
Place all the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.
Pour mayo into a piping bag and place to one side.
Open a bun a place a spoon of cabbage and carrot salad into the bun, top with a 1 or 2 pieces of fish.
Drizzle the fish with the lime coriander mayo.
Top with fresh coriander leaves and micro herbs to garnish.
Serve with the furikake and nauc cham dip.
When eating, dip the bao into the nauc cham dressing and then into the furikake powder.
