Firefly Season 1 Episode 6 – Our Mrs. Reynolds
“Did she really make fresh bao? (Zoe looks at him angrily) Quaint”~ Wash
Firefly. The greatest 1 season science fiction show of all time. Now I admit that when the show originally aired I wasn’t interested. I mean, seriously? It was a show about Space Cowboys.
Space.
Cowboys.
But the more I watched, the more I started to understand, and appreciate, what makes Firefly so special.
Star Wars-esque Anti-governent rebels trying to survive on the out rims of the galaxy? Sure, I’m down with that.
Action, adventure, humor and plenty of sarcasm? Well, I do love me some sarcasm.
Nathan Fillion as Mal Reynolds, the tough-love Captain of Serenity, who is full of witty comebacks and sometimes naked? *Ding Ding Ding* and we have a winner folks!
The episode Our Mrs. Reynolds, is one of my favorites. Captain Reyonlds finds himself accidentally married to a subservient young woman named Saffron as his reward for debts unpaid. While his crew are taking great pleasure in mocking Mal’s discomfort over the arangement, he finds he new bride is not without her advantages. Ok yes, she tries to seduce members of the ship in an effort to gain control of it, but she also makes damn tasty fresh Bao.
Bao, also know as Steamed Pork Buns, are a popular street food in China. Individual bread rolls, or buns, get filled with anything from Char Siu (Chinese bbq pork) to egg custard. They do require significant preparation time, but for Captain Mal, it’s Shiny.
Damn Tasty Bao
Makes about 10 buns
Recipe
For the filling
1 small red or yellow onion, finely chopped
2 cups of finely chopped Char Siu (which you can either prepare yourself using this recipe from the woks of life – http://thewoksoflife.com/2014/02/chinese-bbq-pork-cha-siu/ , or you can purchase from your local Asian market)
1 cup chopped bok choy
2 tbsp cooking sherry
1 ½ tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp hoisin sauce
1 ½ tbsp sesame oil
¾ chicken stock
3 tbsp corn starch
- Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a frying pan or wok set over medium heat.
- Add the onions and saute until clear. Add the cooking sherry, stirring until the alcohol cooks off.
- Add the pork and cook for about 3 minutes or until heated through
- Combine Soy sauce, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, remaining oil, and chicken stock. Pour over pork and stir until all ingredients are well mixed.
- Stir in Bok choy
- Whisk in corn starch to thicken.
- Remove from heat and set aside.
For the dough
2 cups all purpose flour
1 ¼ cup cake flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
2 tsp dry active yeast
1 cup warm milk (100 – 110 degrees)
3 tbsp vegetable or canola oil
3 tbsp sugar
¼ tsp salt
- Combine warm milk, sugar, and yeast in a stand mixer with the dough hook attached. Let stand 5 minutes.
- Add flour, oil, baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt to yeast mixture; mix on medium speed until a soft, elastic, dough forms. Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about an hour.
- Punch dough down; let rest 5 minutes.
- Divide dough into 10 equal portions, forming each into a ball. Working with one dough ball at a time (cover remaining dough balls to keep from drying), roll ball into a 5-inch circle. Place 1/4 cup filling in center of dough circle.
- Bring up sides to cover filling and meet on top. Pinch and seal closed with a twist. Repeat procedure with remaining dough balls and filling. They don’t have to be perfect, we just want to prevent the filling from seeping out
- Arrange buns seam side down, 1 inch apart, in each tier of a 2-tiered bamboo steamer. Depending on how big you made them you should be able to fit 4-6 in each tier. Stack tiers; cover with lid
- Add water to a large skillet to a depth of 1 inch; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Place steamer in pan; steam 15 minutes or until puffed and set.
- Cool and enjoy!
- For the filling
- 1 small red or yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 cups of finely chopped Char Siu (which you can either prepare yourself using this recipe from the woks of life - http://thewoksoflife.com/2014/02/chinese-bbq-pork-cha-siu/ , or you can purchase from your local Asian market)
- 1 cup chopped bok choy
- 2 tbsp cooking sherry
- 1 ½ tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 1 ½ tbsp sesame oil
- ¾ chicken stock
- 3 tbsp corn starch
- For the dough
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 ¼ cup cake flour
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp dry active yeast
- 1 cup warm milk (100 – 110 degrees)
- 3 tbsp vegetable or canola oil
- 3 tbsp sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
- Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a frying pan or wok set over medium heat.
- Add the onions and saute until clear. Add the cooking sherry, stirring until the alcohol cooks off.
- Add the pork and cook for about 3 minutes or until heated through
- Combine Soy sauce, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, remaining oil, and chicken stock. Pour over pork and stir until all ingredients are well mixed.
- Stir in Bok choy
- Whisk in corn starch to thicken.
- Remove from heat and set aside.
- Combine warm milk, sugar, and yeast in a stand mixer with the dough hook attached. Let stand 5 minutes.
- Add flour, oil, baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt to yeast mixture; mix on medium speed until a soft, elastic, dough forms. Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about an hour.
- Punch dough down; let rest 5 minutes
- Divide dough into 10 equal portions, forming each into a ball. Working with one dough ball at a time (cover remaining dough balls to keep from drying), roll ball into a 5-inch circle. Place 1/4 cup filling in center of dough circle.
- Bring up sides to cover filling and meet on top. Pinch and seal closed with a twist. Repeat procedure with remaining dough balls and filling.
- Arrange buns seam side down, 1 inch apart, in each tier of a 2-tiered bamboo steamer. Depending on how big you made them you should be able to fit 4-6 in each tier
- Stack tiers; cover with lid
- Add water to a large skillet to a depth of 1 inch; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Place steamer in pan; steam 15 minutes or until puffed and set. Cool
- Once steamed the buns can be frozen for up to 3 months.
- To re-heat, place each bun in the freezer for about 30-45 seconds.
