# Kimchi and Corn, Chicken Mochi **Chef:** Zahra Khan **Cookbook:** Breaking Bao: 88 Bakes and Snacks from Asia and Beyond **Potluck Date:** January 17, 2026 --- ## Recipe corn mixture from Kimchi–Corn Cheese Filling (page 55) or Char Siu Carnitas (page 40) or with more traditional toppings like rosemary, tomatoes, caramelized onions, cheese, and so on. •Make a delicious breakfast sandwich by slicing a piece of focaccia in half, toasting it, and adding fried or scrambled eggs. •Serve a piece of focaccia with spaghetti and Hong Kong Bolognese (page 51). Dan Dan Sheng Jian Bao Pan-Fried Dan Dan Bao Sheng jian bao are small pan-fried buns hailing from Shanghai, usually filled with juicy pork. It’s not considered a dumpling because it uses mantou, the same kind of dough as steamed bao, creating a fluffy exterior that balances out the crispy fried bottom. Because the exterior is so durable, a saucy filling is welcome. Dan dan noodles are an iconic staple of Sichuan cuisine and, coincidentally, my partner’s favorite. The first time I introduced him to creamy, spicy, and uber umami dan dan noods, I thought his head was going to explode from excitement. There are many ways to make and serve these noodles, but the main ingredients remain the same: crispy ground pork with a sauce made of sesame paste and chili oil over a bed of freshly boiled noodles. This recipe marries the two beloved dishes. YIELD: Makes sixteen ¾ oz [20 g] bao BASIC MANTOU 1½ cups [190 g] cake flour ¼ cup + 3 Tbsp [105 ml] whole milk 1 Tbsp granulated sugar 2 tsp vegetable oil 1 tsp instant yeast ¼ tsp kosher salt DAN DAN FILLING 1 Tbsp vegetable oil 1 tsp sesame oil 8 oz [230 g] ground pork 3 Tbsp Chinese sesame paste or tahini 3 Tbsp soy sauce 3 garlic cloves, minced 2 tsp hoisin sauce 2 tsp Shaoxing wine ½ tsp granulated sugar ½ tsp Chinese five-spice powder ¼ tsp ground white pepper 1 Tbsp preserved mustard greens 2 Tbsp Chili Crisp (page 76) or store-bought chili crisp, plus more for garnish (optional) 2 to 4 Tbsp [30 to 60 ml] vegetable oil 2 scallions, green and white parts finely chopped (optional) 1 Tbsp roasted black sesame seeds (optional) 1To make the mantou, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, combine the flour, milk, sugar, oil, yeast, and salt. Knead on low speed until it comes together, about 1 minute, then increase to medium speed for 9 minutes more. The dough should look very smooth. 2Lightly grease a medium mixing bowl with some vegetable oil. Turn the dough out into the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow the dough to proof until doubled in size, about 1 hour. 3Meanwhile, make the dan dan filling. In a medium sauté pan, heat the vegetable oil and sesame oil over medium-high heat. Add the pork to the pan and fry, breaking it up as it cooks, until lightly browned and cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes. 4In a small bowl, whisk together the sesame paste, soy sauce, garlic, 1 Tbsp of water, the hoisin sauce, Shaoxing wine, and sugar. 5When the pork is cooked through, lower the heat to medium, add the five-spice powder, white pepper, and preserved mustard greens to the pork, and stir to combine. Pour in the sauce mixture and stir until all the meat is coated and the sauce has thickened. 6Transfer to a bowl and stir in the chili crisp. Set aside to cool on the counter for 15 minutes before covering with plastic wrap and placing in the refrigerator to chill. 7Punch the dough down and place it on a lightly floured work surface. Roll it into a log and portion it into sixteen equal [20 g] pieces. Cover the pieces with plastic wrap so they don’t dry out. 8On a lightly floured work surface, shape a piece of dough into a ball and then flatten it into a 3 in [7.5 cm] circle using the palm of your hand. Place about 1 Tbsp of the filling in the center of the dough. (If you have one, a 1 Tbsp cookie scoop works really well here.) 9Make a cup with your nondominant hand and place the dough with filling onto your four fingers. Use your thumb to hold the filling down. Work your way around the edges making eight pleats and pinch them all together to seal. It should look like a sack with a drawstring top. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Repeat with the remaining dough pieces and filling. 10Allow the buns to proof until 50 percent larger, about 45 minutes. 11In a large pan, heat 2 Tbsp of the vegetable oil over medium-low heat and place the buns into the pan. Do not overcrowd the pan, as the bao will get bigger as they cook. Work in two batches if you have to. Fry until lightly browned on the bottom, about 2 minutes. If they are getting brown too fast, lower the heat. 12Add cup [80 ml] of water to the pan, cover, and continue to cook until the water has evaporated, the buns are fluffy and cooked through, and the bottoms are browned and crisp, about 8 minutes more. 13Place the buns on a plate and garnish with the scallions and sesame seeds, if desired, and more chili crisp, if desired. Pro Tips & Storage •Leftover cooked buns can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. •Try swapping out the dan dan filling for Char Siu Carnitas (page 40), Hong Kong Bolognese (page 51), or Kimchi–Corn Cheese Filling (page 55). •Preserved mustard greens have a very distinct flavor. If you can’t find them in your local Asian market or online, you can substitute some finely chopped scallions, which taste nothing like it but are green and have a flavor that will work with the dish. •If you want to make these as steamed bao, follow the recipe up to step 10. Place each bun on a little square of parchment paper and then steam in a bamboo steamer or metal steamer with a tea towel tied around the underside of the lid (to catch any condensation) for 10 minutes. It is imperative to bring the water to a rolling boil before placing any buns in the steamer. •You can turn this into a noodle dish by making the sauce in steps 3 through 6. Boil noodles following the package directions, add 3 Tbsp of water from the boiled noodles to the pan, and simmer for 3 minutes. Place some Chili Crisp (page 76) at the bottom of your bowl, then top with noodles and finally the sauce. Hong Kong Bolognese Ham Sui Gok Fried Glutinous Rice Dumplings Filled with Hong Kong Bolognese Yes, Hong Kong Bolognese sauce is a thing! When I was a kid, whenever we visited Hong Kong, I insisted we go to The Spaghetti House, an Italian restaurant of sorts but where the sauces were made the Asian way: more gravyish, sometimes stir fried, and usually made using bottled ingredients like ketchup and Worcestershire sauce. When I lived in Italy, I tasted my first arancini, deep-fried risotto balls that are typically stuffed with cheese and sauce. I have combined both these memories into my own version of one of my favorite dim sum dishes, ham sui gok, deep-fried glutinous rice dumplings. If you don’t feel like fussing with making the wrappers, just make the sauce and serve it over a bowl of spaghetti for an umami bomb that you won’t want to end. YIELD: Makes 15 dumplings HONG KONG BOLOGNESE 2 Tbsp vegetable oil 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped 3 garlic cloves, minced 8 oz [230 g] lean ground beef 2 Tbsp ketchup 2 Tbsp tomato paste ½ Tbsp oyster sauce 1 cup [240 ml] low-sodium chicken stock ½ cup green peas, shelled, fresh or frozen 1 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce 1 Tbsp granulated sugar 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce 1 tsp kosher salt ½ tsp ground white pepper HAM SUI GOK (DUMPLING WRAPPERS) ½ cup [70 g] wheat starch cup [80 ml] boiling water ¼ cup [50 g] granulated sugar ½ tsp kosher salt 2 cups [220 g] glutinous rice flour 3 Tbsp lard, unsalted butter, or shortening 6 cups [1.4 L] vegetable oil 1To make the Hong Kong Bolognese, in a wok or large frying pan, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat and sauté the onion and garlic for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the ground beef and continue to cook, breaking it up and stirring until browned, about 2 minutes more. Drain the liquid from the beef. 2Stir in the ketchup, tomato paste, and oyster sauce and cook for another 2 minutes. Stir in t --- *Downloaded from BCBCBath Cookbook Club* *https://bcbcbath.com*