Chicken Pastry

These Chicken Pastries are often available in dim sum joints but many a time they're referred to as 'Char Siew Sou' as in the fillings are of BBQ pork.  I chose to make mine  with chicken, hence the name 'Chicken Pastry'.  This serves as a wonderful snack or even for breakfast, accompanied by a hot cup of Chinese tea or black coffee.

You find them yummy?  Feel free to grab one!

Ingredients

• 200 gm chicken breast, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 small can green peas, 230 gm
• 2 tsp oyster sauce
• 1 tsp sugar or to taste
• 1/2  tsp each of : light and dark soya sauce
• 1/4  cup water
• 3  Tbsp cornflour + 3 tsp water to thicken

Preparation   (Best prepared overnight and keep refrigerated)

1. Heat up some oil in a pan, saute the onion till fragrant, add in the chicken meat, stir-fry till cooked.
2. Add in water, add in the sauces, test for taste, toss in the drained peas.
3. Mix in cornflour mixture, dish out and set aside. 

Ingredients for pastry 

Water dough

• 220 gm plain flour
• 2.1/4  Tbsp caster sugar
• 1/2  tsp salt
• 60 gm shortening
• 75 ml plain water

Mix all the above together, add water slowly to make a dough till it doesn't stick to the hands.  Cover and set aside to rest for 30 mins.

Oil dough

• 160 gm plain flour
• 80 gm shortening

Mix together to form a dough till it doesn't stick to the hands.  Cover and set aside to rest for 30 mins.

Egg glaze -  1 egg yolk + 1/2  tsp sugar

Egg white

Black sesame seeds, optional

To assemble

1. Divide water dough and oil dough into 12 pieces, roll into  balls.
2. Insert the ball of oil dough into the ball of water dough, roll into a ball.
3. Roll each ball into an oblong, then roll up, lengthwise.
4. Roll out the dough again, roll up like a swiss roll, then roll out horizontally roughly to form a square.
5. Put in chicken filling, trim off edges, apply some egg white round the edges, seal up, press with fork to make a pattern.
6. Apply egg glaze.  Sprinkle on some black sesame seeds, if desired.
7. Arrange the pastries onto a paper lined baking pan.
8. Bake in a preheated oven @ 180 deg C for about 25 mins. till golden  brown.
9. Remove from oven, let cool in pan for about 10 mins. before transferring onto a wire rack to cool completely.
10. Makes 12 pastries.