Chinese lemon chicken recipe

How to Prepare / Make / Cook - ?Chinese lemon chicken recipe

There are many different types of bread in china, and because Chinese homes traditionally do not have ovens, the breads are steamed instead of baked. Some are plain, other are stuffed with sweet or savory fillings, but almost all use the same basic yeast dough. In the north of china, plain, unfilled bread, called man tou, is served in place of rice. My mother particularly liked to make plain steamed buns to serve with red-cooked dishes notably, shanghai duck (page 187) and shanghai Red-cooked Ham (page 217) The buns are great for soaking up the rich soy sauce gravy.

Because the bread is steamed, there is no crust and no browning the bread is totally white. The Chinese in general prefer snowy white steamed breads and do not use whole wheat or any whole grain flour. In fact, when I was testing various types of flour for this recipe, my Chinese friends definitely preferred the whiter buns made from bleached flour even though the taste and texture of the unbleached flour buns were the same.

Man tou are easy to make at home, where they are formed in simple shapes. Because my mother was born in Beijing (Peking) and group up in shanghai, she made the buns round, which my Number One Aunt from shanghai tells me is typical in that region. The Fujian chefs in our Cambridge restaurant like their steamed bread in a larger oblong loaf. You can do either, although I think the round shape is more delicate and attractive at the table.

2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 cup plus 3 tablespoons warm water (105*F. to 110*F.)
3 ½ cups all-purpose flour plus additional for kneading (1 pound)
1 ½ teaspoons canola, corn, or peanut oil
1 teaspoon baking powder

1. Dissolve the sugar and yeast in the water in a measuring cup or small bowl. Place in a warm, draftfree place for about 10 minutes, or until it develops a head of foam.

2. To make the dough in a food processor, place the flour in the work bowl fitted with the steel blade. With the machine running, pour in the yeast solution in a thin stream. Be sure to scrape in all the foam too. Process for about 15 seconds, or until a rough ball forms. If the dough appears very dry and does not form a ball, stop the machine and look. Sometimes the dough just needs a few more seconds. If you are sure the dough is too dry, add small amounts of warm water (1/4 teaspoon or less at a time) until a rough ball forms. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface.

3. To make the dough by hand, place the flour in a large mixing bowl and add the yeast solution. Stir until it forms a coarse, lumpy dough. Use additional warm water, a little at a time, if the dough appears too dry. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface.

4. Knead for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the dough is smooth, firm, and elastic. After the first minute of kneading, the dough should not stick to either your hands or the work surface. If it is sticky, knead in more flour, a little at a time. Form the dough into a ball.

5. With a paper towel, spread ½ teaspoon of the oil in a bowl large enough to hold 3 times the bulk of the dough. Turn the dough around in the bowl a few times to cover it with a light film of oil. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and place in a warm, draft-free place to rise to double its volume. This will take form 1 to 2 hours.

6. While the dough is rising, cut out 12 pieces of wax paper or parchment, 3 ½ inches square for individual rolls. For loaves, cut out 8 pieces 5 X 3 inches. Pour the remaining 1 teaspoon of oil into a small dish. Set aside.

7. After the first rise, punch down the dough. Cover the dough and allow it to rise a second time to double it s volume (30 minutes to 1 hour). Punch it down again. (The second rise is not necessary, but I have found that it seems to provide a smoother, finer texture.) If you are unable to proceed with the dough right away, you may refrigerate it at this point or after the first rise.

8. Sprinkle the baking powder over the work surface and knead the dough for 5 minutes, or until all the baking powder is well incorporated. Lightly flour the surface if necessary to keep the dough from sticking.

9. Roll the dough into a 12 inch long rope. For shanghai style buns, cut the dough into 1 inch pieces, using a ruler as a guide. Pull each piece away as you cut it or the pieces will stick together. Roll each piece of dough into a ball. Using your fingertips, lightly oil one of the papers with oil and place a bun in the center. (For loaf-shaped buns, cut 1 ½ -inch pieces of dough and place on the oiled paper without reshaping.)

10. Place all the buns on a baking sheet or on the work surface and cover with a dry cloth. Allow the buns to rest in a draft-free place for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the dough slowly springs back when lightly pressed with a finger. The buns will not double in bulk but will be about 50 percent larger.

11. Prepare the steamer and have water boiling over high heat (page 52). Place the buns, with the paper liners, on each tier, leaving at least 1 inch between and above each bun to allow for expansion. (If you have only 1 tier or a small steamer, steam the buns in batches.) Stack the tier s over the boiling water, cover, and steam over high enough heat to maintain a steady stream of steam. If you are using a metal steamer, wrap the lid with a dish towel to prevent condensation from dripping on the buns and disfiguring them. Steam for 15 minutes, or until the buns are puffed up. Have boiling water in a kettle on hand to replenish the water in the steamer as necessary.

12. When the buns are ready, turn off the heat and allow them to sit in the covered steamer for a few seconds to avoid a sudden temperature change, which would wrinkle the surface. To serve, remove the buns to a plate or serve directly from the steamer. For casual family meals, leave the paper on the buns; for dinner parties, remove the paper before serving. To eat, bite or break off a section of the bun and eat it like rice between bites of braised or deep-fried meats or use it to soak up gravies, sauces, and soups.

Note Don’t bring al the steamed buns to the table at once, especially if it is a cold day or the air-conditioner is on. Keep them warm in the steamer. You can also refresh the buns or reheat ones that were made earlier in the day by steaming them for a few minutes before serving.

Extra buns may be cooled and packed in a plastic bag. Tightly sealed, they will keep well in the refrigerator for about 1 week to 10 days or in the freezer for couple of months. Reheat for 10 minutes in a steamer just the way they were cooked. Frozen buns may be placed directly in the steamer without defrosting; they will need 15 minutes of steaming to heat through.

Leftover buns are also delicious as a breakfast bread or snack in a typical family-style way my mother often used. Slice a cold bun 5/8 inch thick and pan-fry in ½ inch of hot oil, turning so that both sides are browned and crisp while the inside remains soft and white. Sprinkle with light brown sugar. Or toast the slices and sprinkle lightly with a thin covering of brown sugar. I like these so much that I purposely make extra man tou so I’ll definitely have some left over.