ER CHEN CHANG SHING TA T CHUNG W AI TING CHUNG Voloribus audae quodit quis enditibus doluptio. Nam, odigentorion pore lam, totatusam volut etur aboressi a vendita natas di tem. Pe molores siminctis quia sim erspell ectaqui con et molor alique sae dis experum nos dunt. Et occatur, simus. Ibus sitiosapicil issit od est inciis nonecera nissequi aut ut ea coria doloribuscim harupit que volorib uscillabor arum entiur magni sit odio. Neque volupta tempos voloreped modit aut lit velessin et acimagnisit in pos mil et dolora cor apiet esseque sumquidi ut aut escil eseque ra nobit remque ipis dolorescid quunt parcit post harum ut velestiur aut et ulpa doluptasim explam, ipsae nobiscius etA Quick Word A History Lesson Before the beginning of the beginning Before the beginning The beginning BAO Soho BAO Manifesto Build a World Rules to be a Lonely Man by Erchen Chang Riverbed to BAOverse Experiences for the single diner Expanding BAOverse A community of searchers School of BAO Inspiring Lonely Mouths Become a specialist Mastery Think food, serve design The BAO centimetre Rare Taiwanese produce Sourcing beef The vessel: Ozu plate Artistic experimentations BAO artist dinners BAO: bakery of artistic objects A Note from Erchen BAO The Holy Grail Recipe Fillings BAO Bakery Goods Xiao Chi – BAO Soho Travel Recipes The Bar – BAO Fitz Travel Recipes Grill House – BAO Borough Travel Recipes Taiwanese Café – BAO King’s Cross Travel Recipes BAO Noodle Shop Travel Recipes BAO Drinks Foams Recipes BAO Larder Recipes Glossary Index P07 P08 P12 P13 P14 P19 P20 P20 P23 P24 P24 P27 P30 P30 P31 P32 P32 P33 P33 P35 P37 P38 P41 P46 P51 P74 P84 P89 P106 P111 P130 P134 P156 P160 P180 P183 P210 P213 P228 P234 P236A Quick Word A History Lesson Before the beginning of the beginning Before the beginning The beginning BAO Soho BAO Manifesto Build a World Rules to be a Lonely Man by Erchen Chang Riverbed to BAOverse Experiences for the single diner Expanding BAOverse A community of searchers School of BAO Inspiring Lonely Mouths Become a specialist Mastery Think food, serve design The BAO centimetre Rare Taiwanese produce Sourcing beef The vessel: Ozu plate Artistic experimentations BAO artist dinners BAO: bakery of artistic objects A Note from Erchen BAO The Holy Grail Recipe Fillings BAO Bakery Goods Xiao Chi – BAO Soho Travel Recipes The Bar – BAO Fitz Travel Recipes Grill House – BAO Borough Travel Recipes Taiwanese Café – BAO King’s Cross Travel Recipes BAO Noodle Shop Travel Recipes BAO Drinks Foams Recipes BAO Larder Recipes Glossary Index P07 P08 P12 P13 P14 P19 P20 P20 P23 P24 P24 P27 P30 P30 P31 P32 P32 P33 P33 P35 P37 P38 P41 P46 P51 P74 P84 P89 P106 P111 P130 P134 P156 P160 P180 P183 P210 P213 P228 P234 P2364 5 BAO Soho Escape the hustle of Soho with the bustle of a Soho xiao chi house Inspired by Taiwanese xiao chi houses and street food culture BAO Fitz Perch at a Fitzrovian bar feeling like you are in an Edward Hopper scene Inspired by heritage and quick-fry Taiwanese flavours that pair well with drinks BAO King’s Cross Loose yourself in a place where you can simply be, in the all-rounder Kings Cross Café Inspired by nostalgic Taiwan and non-spaces BAO BAR Inspired by Tokyo’s Golden Gai bars that have only 6 seats BAO Noodle Shop A moment to restore yourself with soul warming bowls of noodles Inspired by Taiwan’s famous beef noodle culture Rice Error Time for a TV Dinner for One Inspired by the Chishang bian dang – rice houses across Taiwan Convni The supply company for the lonely man Inspired by 7-Eleven convenience stores BAO Borough Grab a skewer and a highball on the way home via the train that rumbles past the Borough Grill House Inspired by Taiwanese and Asian grill house culture Rules to be a Lonely Man by Erchen Chang STC Picture a riverbed with five lonely men, all in specific poised positions, gazing into the shimmering river on a dark night, with a melancholic soundtrack playing in the background. As a spectator, you can’t help but let out a small smirk as you recognize that these singular lonely men, in search of themselves, have gathered in the same spot. Looking past that comical moment, a carefully curated collection of objects in the surrounding scene has created a platform that allows the lonely men to search for a perfect moment in solitude. Each finds themselves in a community of some sort with a shared mission. This mini world that was created by Erchen would become the most important factor in why BAO exists, and the transition from artwork to real life would lead to us serving nearly half a million lonely men a year. Whether you are on a riverbed gazing into the night or in our restaurant looking for a perfect moment in solitude, like it or not, both exist in the same world. The lonely man sitting under the single cheese plant on a step crafted for him became the man eating the BAO. It’s worth noting here that when we refer to the lonely man, we’re referring to anyone who resonates or who searches for their innermost lonely man. We sometimes take a step back and chuckle knowing that what was once an artwork in a gallery in New York has evolved into something that is so intrinsic to the BAO world. As years go by, this world evolves and mutates. Is mutating a good or bad thing? Who knows? We draw a lot of inspiration from a manga film trilogy called 20th Century Boys about a group of kids that illustrate a comic book prophecy, which thirty years later becomes reality. In the present day, the characters try to unlock who the mysterious villain really is as they battle against the sci-fi apocalypse. We draw a connection between the comic book prophecy and Erchen’s manual that taught performers in her artwork how to embody the Lonely Man characteristics. We joke that the artwork is the prophecy that created BAO and the manual is how we built this dreamlike world. 01, 02: THE ORIGINAL RULES TO BE A LONELY MAN PERFORMANCE AND ARTWORK. Riverbed to BAOverse STC We have long been inspired by Walt Disney’s unrealized Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow (EPCOT), a prototype city for the future. However, as we expand our world, instead of looking forwards to the perfect city of the future, we look inwards and envisage a world suited to finding oneself. From the Lonely Man riverbed, we expand to a world containing eateries, shops and delivery. When we first opened BAO Soho, we sketched out a BAO World Map for ourselves that represented what we now call the BAOverse (see page 25). While it did get lost along the way (you know, running restaurants is a pretty full- time gig) it remained integral to how we envisaged our world. Sometimes we would put ourselves in the shoes of the Lonely Man to try to understand what he would want or where he would find his perfect moment. This meant giving a purpose to each of our touchpoints – from the design of our spaces to how our retail shop supplies the Lonely Man. Back in the 1990s, I was hooked on world-building and strategy games. Think Command & Conquer and Theme Hospital as some classic examples. This world-view element is something that seeped into our visual lan - guage. It was about providing a world for you to discover, that you could view in its entirety. We later started working with illustrators Doug John Miller and Marcelo Colmenero, who create these inviting worlds so successfully. Through these detailed depictions of our worlds, we become voyeurs, whether it’s through an isometric God’s-eye view of the restaurant buildings or an ambient atmospheric illustration of the interiors. Those scenes achieve the exact same ambience as the original art work of the Lonely Man on the riverbed. So, when we build our restaurants, we build them for the Lonely Man, making them places where diners can be transported into a narrative moment in time, inspired by the different ways of life in Taiwan. When we approach the design of these spaces, it’s essential that we take inspiration from Taiwanese eating cultures and distil these into the world we have created for the Lonely Man. We get very excited and nostalgic about the food culture back in Taiwan – having now travelled there together many times since that first trip – from xiao chi houses, which serve a collection of ‘small eats’, to Taiwanese cafés, beef noodle shops and fast- food ventures. But it’s equally important that we don’t try to directly import authentic experiences, as what’s crucial is the process of how we translate this way of life while still maintaining an element of feeling transported. We don’t want to transport people back to Taiwan, but to another world – an uncanny version of Taiwan. For us, it has been about building a philosophy that is anchored in Taiwanese culture but completely comfortable in London. 01, 024 5 BAO Soho Escape the hustle of Soho with the bustle of a Soho xiao chi house Inspired by Taiwanese xiao chi houses and street food culture BAO Fitz Perch at a Fitzrovian bar feeling like you are in an Edward Hopper scene Inspired by heritage and quick-fry Taiwanese flavours that pair well with drinks BAO King’s Cross Loose yourself in a place where you can simply be, in the all-rounder Kings Cross Café Inspired by nostalgic Taiwan and non-spaces BAO BAR Inspired by Tokyo’s Golden Gai bars that have only 6 seats BAO Noodle Shop A moment to restore yourself with soul warming bowls of noodles Inspired by Taiwan’s famous beef noodle culture Rice Error Time for a TV Dinner for One Inspired by the Chishang bian dang – rice houses across Taiwan Convni The supply company for the lonely man Inspired by 7-Eleven convenience stores BAO Borough Grab a skewer and a highball on the way home via the train that rumbles past the Borough Grill House Inspired by Taiwanese and Asian grill house culture Rules to be a Lonely Man by Erchen Chang STC Picture a riverbed with five lonely men, all in specific poised positions, gazing into the shimmering river on a dark night, with a melancholic soundtrack playing in the background. As a spectator, you can’t help but let out a small smirk as you recognize that these singular lonely men, in search of themselves, have gathered in the same spot. Looking past that comical moment, a carefully curated collection of objects in the surrounding scene has created a platform that allows the lonely men to search for a perfect moment in solitude. Each finds themselves in a community of some sort with a shared mission. This mini world that was created by Erchen would become the most important factor in why BAO exists, and the transition from artwork to real life would lead to us serving nearly half a million lonely men a year. Whether you are on a riverbed gazing into the night or in our restaurant looking for a perfect moment in solitude, like it or not, both exist in the same world. The lonely man sitting under the single cheese plant on a step crafted for him became the man eating the BAO. It’s worth noting here that when we refer to the lonely man, we’re referring to anyone who resonates or who searches for their innermost lonely man. We sometimes take a step back and chuckle knowing that what was once an artwork in a gallery in New York has evolved into something that is so intrinsic to the BAO world. As years go by, this world evolves and mutates. Is mutating a good or bad thing? Who knows? We draw a lot of inspiration from a manga film trilogy called 20th Century Boys about a group of kids that illustrate a comic book prophecy, which thirty years later becomes reality. In the present day, the characters try to unlock who the mysterious villain really is as they battle against the sci-fi apocalypse. We draw a connection between the comic book prophecy and Erchen’s manual that taught performers in her artwork how to embody the Lonely Man characteristics. We joke that the artwork is the prophecy that created BAO and the manual is how we built this dreamlike world. 01, 02: THE ORIGINAL RULES TO BE A LONELY MAN PERFORMANCE AND ARTWORK. Riverbed to BAOverse STC We have long been inspired by Walt Disney’s unrealized Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow (EPCOT), a prototype city for the future. However, as we expand our world, instead of looking forwards to the perfect city of the future, we look inwards and envisage a world suited to finding oneself. From the Lonely Man riverbed, we expand to a world containing eateries, shops and delivery. When we first opened BAO Soho, we sketched out a BAO World Map for ourselves that represented what we now call the BAOverse (see page 25). While it did get lost along the way (you know, running restaurants is a pretty full- time gig) it remained integral to how we envisaged our world. Sometimes we would put ourselves in the shoes of the Lonely Man to try to understand what he would want or where he would find his perfect moment. This meant giving a purpose to each of our touchpoints – from the design of our spaces to how our retail shop supplies the Lonely Man. Back in the 1990s, I was hooked on world-building and strategy games. Think Command & Conquer and Theme Hospital as some classic examples. This world-view element is something that seeped into our visual lan - guage. It was about providing a world for you to discover, that you could view in its entirety. We later started working with illustrators Doug John Miller and Marcelo Colmenero, who create these inviting worlds so successfully. Through these detailed depictions of our worlds, we become voyeurs, whether it’s through an isometric God’s-eye view of the restaurant buildings or an ambient atmospheric illustration of the interiors. Those scenes achieve the exact same ambience as the original art work of the Lonely Man on the riverbed. So, when we build our restaurants, we build them for the Lonely Man, making them places where diners can be transported into a narrative moment in time, inspired by the different ways of life in Taiwan. When we approach the design of these spaces, it’s essential that we take inspiration from Taiwanese eating cultures and distil these into the world we have created for the Lonely Man. We get very excited and nostalgic about the food culture back in Taiwan – having now travelled there together many times since that first trip – from xiao chi houses, which serve a collection of ‘small eats’, to Taiwanese cafés, beef noodle shops and fast- food ventures. But it’s equally important that we don’t try to directly import authentic experiences, as what’s crucial is the process of how we translate this way of life while still maintaining an element of feeling transported. We don’t want to transport people back to Taiwan, but to another world – an uncanny version of Taiwan. For us, it has been about building a philosophy that is anchored in Taiwanese culture but completely comfortable in London. 01, 026 7 BAO包 Classic Pork BAO This is the BAO that defines who we are. It is the BAO that is in our logo and the BAO that embodies all our values. It’s our pursuit of perfection. The processes and techniques that go into it and the ways in which we have translated the traditional Taiwanese gua bao into our BAO makes it who we are. At home in Taiwan, the gua bao is normally two to three times larger. At that size, it is all about filling your stomach – the opposite of kuchisabishii (see page 24). A lot of people ask why we serve it smaller. Well, firstly it’s because we want diners to sample a range of dishes, not just one. But most importantly, we serve it this way to facilitate that perfect moment of solitude. Our BAO are the perfect 3–4 bites for the Lonely Man. The Classic Pork BAO is perfectly formed, with a clean 1 cm (½ inch) gap between the edge of the bun and the edge of the meat. It is filled with twelve-hour braised pork that yields no resistance, melting in your mouth with the cloud-like BAO, the flavour notes of the ferments and sweet peanut powder lingering on in your mouth. In this recipe the pork is braised for 3 hours at a higher temperature but it still produces a great braise. The Fermented Mustard Greens are a crucial component of this BAO and you will need to prepare them at least 2 weeks in advance (see page 235). If you don’t have the time or desire to ferment your own, however, you can buy them from any Asian grocery store. They tend to be vacuum-packed in a bag with their own juices and are a pleasing yellowish-green colour. Soy-braised pork belly Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Add the pork cubes and blanch for 2–3 minutes to get rid of any impurities. Drain, then place into a flameproof clay pot or large saucepan. Add the remaining ingredients to the pot or pan and pour over enough water to just cover the ingredients. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer gently for 3 hours. There should just be small bubbles on the surface of the liquid. Halfway through cooking, flip the pork cubes to ensure even cooking. Transfer the pork to a plate and leave to cool. Strain the braising liquid, then bring to the boil and cook until it is a light, sticky consistency, reducing it by about half. When the pork has cooled slightly, chop it into cubes of about 1 cm (½ inch). Put the cubes into the reduced sauce, give it a good stir and remove from the heat. Warm the pork with the sauce over a medium heat for 10 minutes before serving. Fried mustard greens Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the doubanjiang (fermented chilli bean paste) and when the oil starts to turn red, add the fermented mustard greens. Stir-fry for 5–10 minutes until super fragrant and wilted. Season the greens with a few drops of the vinegar. To assemble While the pork is reheating and the greens are cooking, steam the gua BAO following the directions on page 85. Open a BAO and line the bottom with 45 g of the piping-hot, glistening pork, then top with 1 teaspoon of the fried mustard greens. Finish with 1 teaspoon of the chopped coriander (cilantro) and 1 tablespoon of the golden, sweet peanut powder. Repeat with the remaining BAO and fillings. Hold a BAO lovingly in your hand. Open your mouth fully, like the BAO, and eat from the side. Makes 10–12 BAO For the soy-braised pork belly: 1 kg pork belly (side), cut into 5 cm (2 inch) cubes 50 ml light soy sauce 40 ml dark soy sauce 60 ml Shaoxing rice wine 20 g spring onion (scallion) 1 clove garlic, crushed 20 g fresh ginger, peeled, sliced and crushed 1 star anise 20 g rock sugar pinch of garlic powder 4 dried red chillies 6 g cinnamon stick For the fried mustard greens: 2 tablespoons vegetable oil ½ teaspoon doubanjiang (fermented chilli bean paste) 100 g drained Fermented Mustard Greens (see page 235), chopped splash of rice vinegar To serve: 10–12 Gua BAO (see page 84, or use our ready-made BAO, see page 228) 1 small bunch coriander (cilantro), chopped 90 g Peanut Powder (see page 228) The first time we served this BAO at a night market in Dalston, a customer cried and hugged Wai Ting. N6 7 BAO包 Classic Pork BAO This is the BAO that defines who we are. It is the BAO that is in our logo and the BAO that embodies all our values. It’s our pursuit of perfection. The processes and techniques that go into it and the ways in which we have translated the traditional Taiwanese gua bao into our BAO makes it who we are. At home in Taiwan, the gua bao is normally two to three times larger. At that size, it is all about filling your stomach – the opposite of kuchisabishii (see page 24). A lot of people ask why we serve it smaller. Well, firstly it’s because we want diners to sample a range of dishes, not just one. But most importantly, we serve it this way to facilitate that perfect moment of solitude. Our BAO are the perfect 3–4 bites for the Lonely Man. The Classic Pork BAO is perfectly formed, with a clean 1 cm (½ inch) gap between the edge of the bun and the edge of the meat. It is filled with twelve-hour braised pork that yields no resistance, melting in your mouth with the cloud-like BAO, the flavour notes of the ferments and sweet peanut powder lingering on in your mouth. In this recipe the pork is braised for 3 hours at a higher temperature but it still produces a great braise. The Fermented Mustard Greens are a crucial component of this BAO and you will need to prepare them at least 2 weeks in advance (see page 235). If you don’t have the time or desire to ferment your own, however, you can buy them from any Asian grocery store. They tend to be vacuum-packed in a bag with their own juices and are a pleasing yellowish-green colour. Soy-braised pork belly Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Add the pork cubes and blanch for 2–3 minutes to get rid of any impurities. Drain, then place into a flameproof clay pot or large saucepan. Add the remaining ingredients to the pot or pan and pour over enough water to just cover the ingredients. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer gently for 3 hours. There should just be small bubbles on the surface of the liquid. Halfway through cooking, flip the pork cubes to ensure even cooking. Transfer the pork to a plate and leave to cool. Strain the braising liquid, then bring to the boil and cook until it is a light, sticky consistency, reducing it by about half. When the pork has cooled slightly, chop it into cubes of about 1 cm (½ inch). Put the cubes into the reduced sauce, give it a good stir and remove from the heat. Warm the pork with the sauce over a medium heat for 10 minutes before serving. Fried mustard greens Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the doubanjiang (fermented chilli bean paste) and when the oil starts to turn red, add the fermented mustard greens. Stir-fry for 5–10 minutes until super fragrant and wilted. Season the greens with a few drops of the vinegar. To assemble While the pork is reheating and the greens are cooking, steam the gua BAO following the directions on page 85. Open a BAO and line the bottom with 45 g of the piping-hot, glistening pork, then top with 1 teaspoon of the fried mustard greens. Finish with 1 teaspoon of the chopped coriander (cilantro) and 1 tablespoon of the golden, sweet peanut powder. Repeat with the remaining BAO and fillings. Hold a BAO lovingly in your hand. Open your mouth fully, like the BAO, and eat from the side. Makes 10–12 BAO For the soy-braised pork belly: 1 kg pork belly (side), cut into 5 cm (2 inch) cubes 50 ml light soy sauce 40 ml dark soy sauce 60 ml Shaoxing rice wine 20 g spring onion (scallion) 1 clove garlic, crushed 20 g fresh ginger, peeled, sliced and crushed 1 star anise 20 g rock sugar pinch of garlic powder 4 dried red chillies 6 g cinnamon stick For the fried mustard greens: 2 tablespoons vegetable oil ½ teaspoon doubanjiang (fermented chilli bean paste) 100 g drained Fermented Mustard Greens (see page 235), chopped splash of rice vinegar To serve: 10–12 Gua BAO (see page 84, or use our ready-made BAO, see page 228) 1 small bunch coriander (cilantro), chopped 90 g Peanut Powder (see page 228) The first time we served this BAO at a night market in Dalston, a customer cried and hugged Wai Ting. N8 9 BAO包 Chicken Nugget BAO 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. 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 flour, 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 2½ 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 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. Makes 5 BAO 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 of 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 1/4 teaspoon onion powder 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon chicken nugget seasoning (see above) 1/4 teaspoon caster (superfine) sugar pinch of salt a light grating of lemon zest 3/4 teaspoon sesame oil 1/4 teaspoon premium soy sauce 1/4 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 onion8 9 BAO包 Chicken Nugget BAO 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. 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 flour, 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 2½ 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 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. Makes 5 BAO 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 of 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 1/4 teaspoon onion powder 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon chicken nugget seasoning (see above) 1/4 teaspoon caster (superfine) sugar pinch of salt a light grating of lemon zest 3/4 teaspoon sesame oil 1/4 teaspoon premium soy sauce 1/4 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 onionNext >