Sumptuous Flavours: Nam Yue Bao ( Bacon Rolls ) 南乳包

Nam Yue Bao ( Bacon Rolls ) 南乳包

Recipe source for the Nam Yue rolls : Adapted from The Hong Kong Cookbook
Recipe source for Bao skin : Blue key Pau flour

These nam yue bao can be easily bought from the shops around the place I stay, but it is so satisfying to my sense of achievement to make them at home. It is even more satisfying when the bao turned out excellently. It is little wonder that we have such a large community of like-minded food bloggers who all love to cook and share!

Ingredients

350g pork belly, cut into 8 pieces about 1 cm thick
4 eggs, hard-boiled and with shells removed
30g shallots, sliced
2 tbsp cooking oil

Seasoning

1 1/2 cubes of nam yue
1/2 tbsp shao hsing wine
500ml water
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp black soya sauce
1 tsp oyster sauce
1/4 tsp five-spice powder

To cook the nam yue rolls

1. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a wok and saute the sliced shallots until fragrant.
2. Add in the pork slices and fry until colour changes. Add in seasoning and hard-boiled eggs and bring to a boil. Once it boils, reduce to small flame and allow to simmer for 30 minutes or until the pork slices are tender.
3. Dish up and set aside to cool.
4. Cut the eggs into halves.

The pork belly and eggs ready for assembling

Ingredients for bao skin

330g bao flour
1 tsp yeast
180ml water
50g sugar
1 tsp double-action baking powder
25g shortening

To make the bao skin

1. Combine the bao flour, sugar, double-action baking powder and shortening in a mixing bowl. Mix in the yeast and water. Whisk until the the ingredients form into a smooth dough.
2. Place into a big bowl and cover the bowl with cling film. Allow it to proof for about 30 minutes or until double in size.

To assemble the bao

1. Punch down the bao dough and divide the dough into 8 equal portions.
2.. Roll out one portion into an oval shape. Place one piece of pork belly in the middle of the rolled-out dough. Add half an egg on top of the pork belly.
3. Fold in the two sides of the dough and place the bao on a piece of baking paper.
4. Repeat the process with the rest of the ingredients.
5. Place the bao onto a steaming tray and allow to further proof for about 20 minutes.
4. Steam the conventional way over boiling water for 10 minutes or in a steam oven.