INGREDIENTS
Eight spice powder
20 g juniper berries
30 g whole star anise
15 g white peppercorns
15 g cinnamon quills
15 g whole cloves
1 pinch saffron threads
10 g cardamom pods
25 g salt flakes
Confit duck leg
4 duck legs
50 g salt flakes
1 tbsp eight spice powder
1 thyme sprig
1 bay leaf
250 g duck fat, or more if needed
Steamed bao buns
500 g (3 1/3 cups) plain flour
2 tbsp caster sugar
2 tsp baking powder
310 ml (1 ¼ cups) lukewarm water
7g (2 tsp) dried yeast
50 g butter, melted
1 tsp salt flakes
1 tbsp neutral oil
Condiments
230 g (⅔ cup) hoisin sauce
4 spring onions, thinly sliced
1 baby cos lettuce, thinly sliced
2 long red chillies, thinly sliced
½ cup coriander sprigs
Miele Accessories
Steam container
METHOD
Eight spice powder
- Toast the spices in a large frying pan over medium heat, Induction setting 5 for 1 minute, or until fragrant.
- Grind all the spices and salt into a fine powder in a spice grinder or pestle and mortar. Allow to cool.
Confit duck leg
- Trim the knuckle from leg bone and discard.
- Sprinkle each duck leg with salt, eight spice powder and herbs; and place in the fridge for 12 hours to cure.
- Wipe the salt from the duck with a paper towel.
- Place the duck in one later into an oven-proof dish, cover with duck fat, place into the oven on shelf level 2.
- Confit the duck on Convectional at 110˚C for 4 hours, or until the meat nearly fall off the bone.
- Remove the duck from the duck fat and refrigerate until required.
Steamed bao buns
- Combine the flour, sugar and baking powder in a bowl and set aside.
- Combine the water, yeast and melted butter in the bowl of a freestanding mixer with a dough hook attachment. Add the dry ingredients and combine on low speed for 4 minutes.
- Add the salt to the dough and continue to knead on medium for 4 minutes.
- Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and place into the oven on Prove yeast dough for 15 minutes. Cover and place into the fridge for 1 hour.
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator and portion the dough into 30 g pieces; roll each piece into a ball. Using a rolling pin, roll into an oval shape, approximately 8 cm long. Brush the dough with a little oil and fold in half crosswise. Place in a baking paper-lined perforated steam container, 4 cm apart. Prove the bao in the oven for 20 minutes.
- Once the bao have risen, Steam at 100˚C for 15 minutes.
To serve
- Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat, Induction setting 7 and brown the duck legs on all sides.
- Remove the duck from the bones. Serve with steamed bao buns, hoisin sauce and fresh vegetables.
Hints and tips
- If the buns have been frozen, reheat in a perforated steam container lined with baking paper and Steam at 100˚C for 1 minute.
- Multiple variations of filling can be used for this recipe such as pulled pork, chicken or lamb.
- Eight spice powder can be stored for up to 3 months in an airtight container.