Braised Duck Siopao (Bao)

I joined #homecookbattle and #duck happens to be the theme ingredient this month. I'm for many challenges and this is THE most challenging because ducks creep me out (crying emoji).

Siopao is a steamed bun stuffed with something savory or sweet. In this case it's stuffed with braised duck.

It turned out better than I thought and it reminded me of the Filipino pork asado siopao.

Pineapple Braised Duck Siopao (Bao)

Filling:

1 young duck large pieces or duck breast is better

about 1 teaspoon of olive oil for frying

1 medium sized onions chopped up in the food processor

2 tablespoons garlic

540 mL can of crushed pineapples

1/4 cup (or more) of oyster sauce

2 tablespoons hoisin sauce

1/4 cup or more dark soy sauce

1 cinnamon stick

2 tablespoons sugar

salt and pepper to taste

Dough:

300 g all purpose flour

60 g cornstarch

2 1/2 teaspoon instant yeast

75 g sugar

1 tablespoon cooking oil

150 mL water

NOTE 1: If you buy a whole duck only cook the breast, duck eggs or, wings. Save the duck ribs for another use.

NOTE 2: Taste the braised duck after instapot cooking time. Adjust the seasonings to your liking.

Filling instructions:

1. Brown up all of duck pieces. It doesn't have to be cooked through. Only doing this step to render the fat and to build up some flavor Set aside.

2. Saute onions using the duck fat grease. Make sure to scrap off all the brown bits. Add garlic. Brown it up a bit.

3. Add the browned duck and the rest of the remaining ingredients.

4. Mix everything together and turn on the instapot. Setting Meat stew for 25 minutes.

5. Cool filling, remove all bones, before shredding all the duck meat.

Dough instructions:

1. Mix dry ingredients together except for yeast

2. Dissolve yeast in 150 mL water

3. Add water and cooking oil in the prepared dried ingredients

4. Roughly mix all the ingredients together.

5. Knead dough. If its too dry add a bit more water. If its too wet add a bit of flour.

6. Before working dough any further this is point where you need to set aside 45 grams of dough for beak. Dye dough beak orange using food coloring gel. Dye main dough yellow.

7. Keep kneading until color is evenly distributed.

8. Skip step 8 if you just want regular siopao

9. Divide the orange dough into 18 pieces. Do the same with the yellow dough.

10. Roll out the yellow dough. (about 5" wide)

11. Place filling in the centre. Close it up by gathering all the dough in the centre like a purse.

12. Proof for 1 hour our until it puffed up 50% from its original size

13. Steam for 15 minutes. Turn off heat and let sit for 5 minutes to prevent wrinkles on the bun due to sudden change of temperature.