Camp Kau Kau Day 4
Day four of Camp Kau Kau’s culinary focus was on the foods introduced to the islands by Chinese immigrants. With recipes like Din Tai Fung Green Beans, Savory and Sweet Manapuas!
Side Dish- Din Tai Fung Copycat Green Beans
Prep Time: 10min
Cook time: 20min
Servings: 4-6
Adapted from-Platings and Pairings
Ingredients:
4 cups of green beans, washed and trimmed
8 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 Tablespoons)
2 Tablespoons of canola or vegetable oil
1 Tablespoon chicken broth concentrate (like better than bouillon, or chicken bouillon powder)
2 Tablespoons water
Equipment:
Instant Pot and Clear Glass Instant Pot Lid (or large pot with lid and frying pan)
Tongs
Measuring Cups
Measuring Spoons
Knife
Cutting Board
Large bowl for ice bath/cold water
Paper towels and plate for finished product
Directions:
Add 3 cups of water to the pot and heat on high (saute on HIGH for Instant Pot).
Fill a large bowl with ice water or cold water.
When the water in the pot reaches boiling, use tongs to blanch the green beans in boiling water for 20 seconds, then place in an ice bath or cold water to stop the cooking process.
Thoroughly pat green beans dry after draining. If the beans are still wet, the hot frying oil will splatter and pop.
Empty pot & dry.
Heat the pot on HIGH (Saute on HIGH for Instant Pot).
Pour oil into the pot and heat until very hot, around 350-degrees. To test the temperature of the oil, drop a bean into the skillet. It should start to sizzle immediately.
Once the oil is hot, add a handful of beans and fry until you see wrinkling and blistering on the skin, it should take 1-2 minutes.
Remove the beans with a slotted spoon or tongs and set aside on a paper towel lined plate. Repeat with the remaining green beans.
Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add the broth concentrate (or bouillon powder) and water and stir to combine. Return the green beans to the pan and cook for 30 seconds longer. Turn off the heat (on Instant Pot, press cancel).
Main Dish- Char Siu Manapua
Prep. time: 60min
Cook time: 8-10min
Servings: 8
Adapted from- Ono Hawaiian Recipes
Ingredients:
Filling
2 Packs of Pre-made Char Siu Pork
Pre-made sauce packet or ⅓ cup of Char Siu Sauce
Manapua Dough
2 Cups of Flour
1 tsp Instant Yeast
1 tsp baking powder
4 tsp of sugar
1 cup of warm (to the touch) water
Equipment:
Instant Pot
Clear Glass Instant Pot Lid
Steaming Baskets
Parchment Paper
Tongs
Measuring Cups
Measuring Spoons
Knife
Cutting Board
Bench Scraper
Large bowl for making the dough
Paper towels and plate for finished product
Directions:
Filling
Cut the premade Char Siu into small bite sized pieces.
Add the meat to the sauce.
Cover and refrigerate.
Dough
In a large bowl, add in the flour. Create a small well in the flour and add in yeast, baking powder, and sugar.
Slowly add in the water while stirring it with a wooden spoon or hand. Add additional flour if needed. Transfer the dough to a working surface with flour sprinkled on.
With a vertical arm press down with your palm and bring it forward and with the other arm, bring it back. Sprinkle on more flour until the dough can slightly stick. Keep kneading until the dough has become smooth, waxy, soft, and bouncy. Place on a floured surface or bowl, cover with a dishcloth, and let rise for up to 3 hours.
Divide the dough into 6 even pieces.
With one divided piece, press it into a flat disc with the outer edges thin and in the middle thick.
Stuff the dough with the manapua filling (be sure the filling is at room temperature) and close it on the top while swirling and pinching it. If there is excess dough, pinch it off and it’ll look like a bald head. Set aside and repeat with the other pieces.
Steaming the Manapua
Line a steamer with parchment paper and place the manapua on it. Cover and let it rest for 15-20 minutes.
In the meantime, boil water in a pot large enough to hold the steamer basket. Place the covered steamer over the pot and let it steam for 7-8 minutes. Serve and enjoy!
**Directions for making Char Siu filling from scratch**
Ingredients:
2.5 lb pork butt/shoulder
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup shoyu (soy sauce)
1/2 tsp five spice
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp liquor (rice wine)
1 clove crushed garlic
1 tbsp oyster sauce
Filling:
1/2 cup leftover juices from char siu
3 tsp cold water
2 tsp cornstarch
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2-3 drops red food coloring (optional)
Directions:
In a large bowl combine the sugar, shoyu, oyster sauce, five spice, salt, liquor, crushed garlic, and red food coloring. Mix until the sugar has dissolved.
Cut the pork into large chunks. Add it to a large ziploc bag and let it marinate in the sauce overnight.
Either cook the pork in a crockpot for 6 hours on high or in the Instant Pot on manual high for 45 minutes. Allow 10 minutes of natural release before pressing the quick release.
Shred the meat. Save 1/2 cup of the leftover char siu juices.
Char Siu filling
Combine the cold water and cornstarch. In a small pot add the char siu juices and corn starch.
Heat until the filling has thickened then add in the char siu and mix to combine.
Set aside the char siu filling to let it cool down to room temperature.
Dessert- Sweet Potato Manapua
Prep Time: 60min
Cook Time: 8-10min
Servings: 8
Adapted from- Down to Earth Organic and Natural
Ingredients:
Filling
¼ cup sweetened condensed milk, plus more if needed
2 tablespoons of sugar
2 tablespoons of butter
2 Okinawan sweet potatoes
Manapua Dough
2 Cups of Flour
1 tsp Instant Yeast
1 tsp baking powder
4 tsp of sugar
1 cup of warm (to the touch) water
Equipment:
Instant Pot
Clear Glass Instant Pot Lid
Steaming Baskets
Parchment Paper
Tongs
Measuring Cups
Measuring Spoons
Knife
Cutting Board
Bench Scraper
Potato Masher or Potato Ricer or Forks
Large bowl for making the dough
Paper towels and plate for finished product
Directions:
Filling
Fill Instant Pot with 2 cups of water
Peel, Cut and Pressure cook Sweet potatoes for 3 Mins
Drain the water
Combine sweet potato, condensed milk, and butter in a large bowl and mash process until mixed well. Set aside.
Dough
In a large bowl, add in the flour. Create a small well in the flour and add in yeast, baking powder, and sugar.
Slowly add in the water while stirring it with a wooden spoon or hand. Transfer the dough to a working surface with flour sprinkled on.
With a vertical arm press down with your palm and bring it forward and with the other arm, bring it back. Sprinkle on more flour until the dough can slightly stick. Keep kneading until the dough has become smooth, waxy, soft, and bouncy. Divide the dough into 6 even pieces.
With one divided piece, press it into a flat disc with the outer edges thin and in the middle thick.
Stuff the dough with the manapua filling (be sure the filling is at room temperature) and close it on the top while swirling and pinching it. If there is excess dough, pinch it off and it’ll look like a bald head. Set aside and repeat with the other pieces.
Steaming the Manapua
Line a steamer with parchment paper and place the manapua on it. Cover and let it rest for 15-20 minutes.
In the meantime, boil water in a pot large enough to hold the steamer basket. Place the covered steamer over the pot and let it steam for 7-8 minutes. Serve and enjoy!