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Lobster Roll Bao with Tamarind Mayo

Lobster Roll Bao with Tamarind Mayo

These Lobster Roll Bao feature tender pieces of lobster dressed in tamarind-spiked mayo and nestled into pillowy bao buns.
Prep Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Proofing Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American, Canadian, Chinese
Servings 12 bao

Equipment

  • large bamboo steamer
  • large wok
  • stand mixer with hook attachment

Ingredients
  

Lotus Leaf Bao

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp instant yeast
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 cup water luke warm
  • 2 ½ tbsp neutral oil I used canola
  • 2 tbsp sesame oil

Tamarind Mayo Lobster Salad

  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 shallots halved and sliced
  • 1 (1-inch) knob ginger minced
  • 3 scallions sliced, separate the whites from the greens
  • 4 lobster tails cut into 1-inch chunks
  • cup mayo
  • 1 tbsp tamarind paste
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce
  • 1 tsp honey

Toppings

  • ½ head curly endive torn into bite-sized pieces
  • 2-3 radishes sliced thin on a mandolin
  • ¼ cucumber sliced thin on a mandolin
  • fresh sage blossoms optional
  • Lemon wedges for serving
  • sambal oelek for serving

Instructions
 

For the Bao

  • Pour the flour into the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the baking powder, instant yeast, and granulated sugar. Click the bowl into a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and whisk of medium until all the ingredients are thoroughly integrated.
  • Remove the whisk and replace it with a dough hook. Slowly stream in 1 cup of Luke warm water and 2 1/2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Leave the mixer to work the dough for 7-9 minutes. The dough should look uniform and silky to the touch.Things will look dire. It will look like there is not enough liquid to form a cohesive dough, but there is. Bao dough is considerably dense, so don’t expect to be pillowy and soft like bread dough.
  • Finish the dough off by kneading it by hand for 5 minutes. Once the dough is where you want it, grease a bowl with neutral oil and transfer the dough to the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a tea towel and set aside to rise for about an hour and a half or until doubled in size.
  • Once the dough has risen, punch it down and knead it for 5 minutes. We want to work all the air bubbles out of the dough. This step is crucial. If you skimp on the kneading your bao will not have the smooth unblemished surface we’re looking for.
  • When the dough is thoroughly kneaded, roll it out to a 1/4 of an inch thickness. Using a cup of a 3” biscuit cutter, cut 12-13 circles out of the dough. Place each circle on a 4x4” piece of parchment paper and brush one half of each circle with sesame oil, before folding the naked half over top. Really press on the bun to flatten it out. Transfer the finished bao to a baking sheet and cover with a tea towel. Let rise for 30 minutes.
  • Bring 2 inches of water to a boil in a large wok. Place 3-4 buns in a bamboo steamer and place in the center of the boiling water. Reduce the heat to medium and steam the buns over rapidly simmering water for 7 minutes. Repeat until all the bao are steamed.

For the Tamarind Mayo Lobster

  • In a large skillet pour the olive oil and add the butter. Place over medium heat. Once the butter is frothy, add the shallots and a pinch of salt. Sauté until translucent. Add the ginger and the white portion of the scallions. Sauté until softened.
  • Add the lobster and briefly sautè until the flesh is firm. Be brief with this, it’s easy to overcook lobster. Once the lobster is cooked, take the skillet off of the heat and set aside to cool slightly. 
  • In a large bowl combine the mayo, tamarind paste, fish sauce, and honey. Tip the contents of the skillet into the bowl and add the green portion of the scallions. Stir to combine. 

To Assemble

  • Fill your buns with the curly endive, followed by the lobster, and top with radish and cucumber. I added sage blossoms for a little extra flare but they are optional. Transfer the buns to a platter and serve with sambaal oelek and lemon wedges.
Keyword bao, lobster, mayo, tamarind