Author Jennifer Joyce says: “Never discount the hidden food treasures inside Japan’s train stations and airports. There are gems to be found: Michelin-starred restaurants, izakayas and stellar ramen joints. I discovered katsu burgers before catching a flight and was soon salivating over the crisp, panko-coated prawn patties tucked in a bun with chilli mayo and crunchy cabbage. Why not take it a step further with a soft bao?”

Makes 12 small burgers

Prep: 20 minutes plus 1 hour chilling

Cook: 5 minutes

Ingredients

400 g (14 oz) raw peeled prawns
4 spring onions (scallions), finely chopped
2 tsp soy sauce
1 tbsp grated ginger
40 g (11/2 oz) soft fresh breadcrumbs
2 eggs, whisked
50 g (2 oz) plain flour
100 g (31/2 oz) panko breadcrumbs
Vegetable oil, for frying
Steamed bao buns (recipe below)

For the cabbage slaw:

2 handfuls finely shredded cabbage
8 red or 1 watermelon radish, thinly sliced
1 tbsp rice vinegar

For the chilli mayo:

1 tbsp hot chilli sauce
1 tsp lime juice
1 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tsp sesame seeds

Method

First make the cabbage slaw. In a bowl, combine the cabbage, radishes and vinegar. Add some sea salt and toss together.

To a food processor add half the prawns, the spring onion, soy and ginger and pulse until pureed. Roughly chop the remaining prawns and add to the mixture along with the fresh breadcrumbs. Form into 12 burgers.

Place the eggs, flour and panko breadcrumbs, crushed until fine, in three separate shallow dishes. Dip the burgers into the flour, then egg, then cover in panko breadcrumbs. Repeat with all the burgers.

Place on a plate covered with baking paper, cover with more paper and then wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until frying (I find they stay together better if they have an hour in the refrigerator before you fry them).

Mix all the chilli mayo ingredients together in a small bowl and then set aside.

Heat the oil in a wok or deep medium saucepan until it reaches 180–190°C (350–375°F) or when a small piece of bread instantly sizzles. Have a wire rack set on top of a baking tray to drain the burgers, then fry them four or five at a time for about 2–3 minutes until they turn golden.

Serve the bao buns stuffed with the katsu, some chilli mayo and the cabbage slaw.

How to make the bao buns

Makes 12 large buns or 16 smaller

Prep: 15 minutes, plus 1 hour proving

Cook: 10 minutes

Ingredients

100 ml (31/2 fl oz) milk
90 ml (3 fl oz) warm water
2 tbsp vegetable oil, plus extra
11/2 tsp fast-action yeast
350 g (12 oz) plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp caster sugar

Method

In a pouring jug, mix together the milk, warm water, vegetable oil and yeast. Leave to sit for 5 minutes to check if the yeast bubbles up (it’s a good test to see if your yeast is working).

In the bowl of a standing electric mixer with a dough hook, add the dry ingredients. With the motor running on low speed, pour in the liquid. Let it come together as a ball of dough and if it sticks to the bottom, then sprinkle in an extra tablespoon or so of flour.

Knead for 10 minutes on the same low speed. You can also do this by hand using a large mixing bowl and spoon, kneading the dough on the counter for 10 minutes.

Remove the dough and place in a lightly oiled bowl for 1 hour or until doubled in size. Cover with plastic wrap.

Knock the dough back, knead for another 2 minutes, and then cut into 12–16 balls and place under a tea towel to stay soft while rolling. Use scissors to cut 10 cm (4 inch) squares of non-stick baking paper for each ball. Roll each ball into an elliptical shape about 15 cm (6 inches) long and 8 cm (31/2 inches) wide. Brush the tops lightly with vegetable oil, fold over and place each on a square of paper. Add to the steamer, then place the lid on the steamer so that they are covered. Leave to rise for a second time, about 30 minutes–1 hour depending on the heat of your kitchen.

Pour water in the bottom of a wok or if you are using a metal steamer, pour water into the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil and then place the steamer on top. Steam for about 8 minutes or until puffy and firm.

Note: if you want to prepare these more than 4–6 hours in advance, I would suggest freezing them cooked and then steaming again from frozen. This keeps them from going stale. You can also store in an airtight container, covered in baking paper, up to a day before using. Once open, they need to be used quickly as they go stale fast.

From My Asian Kitchen by Jennifer Joyce (£20, Murdoch Books)

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