Ingredients

Pork Filling
500g Pork mince
1 Onion finely diced
2 Cloves garlic
4g Ground ginger
4g Ground corriander
7g Cumin
½ tsp Tumeric
50g Sweet soy sauce
11g Sambal
Steam Bun
100g Plain flour
8g Sugar
50g Lukewarm water
2g Salt
1.5g Dried yeast
Sambal
12 Chillies
12 Cloves garlic
1 Onion
2 tsp Salt
4tsp Sugar
2 Lime – zest and juice
Sesame oil
Laksa Foam
3 Cloves garlic
1 Red Thai chilli
1 cm Ginger
1tsp Coriander seeds
Generous handful Fresh coriander
1 Kaffir lime leaf
30ml Sesame oil
2 Lemongrass
400 ml Chicken stock
400ml Coconut milk
30ml Thai fish sauce

Method

Pork Filling

Method: Take the finely diced onion and chopped garlic and sweat off until soft. Add pork mince and cook through. Add ginger, corriander, cumin and tumeric, sweat off for 10-15 more minutes. Add sweet soy sauce and sambal. Let simmer for a further 15-20 minutes. Season to finish and set aside to cool down.

Steam Bun

Method: Mix half the sugar and half the water and let bubble. Mix in the rest of the ingredients and form into 6 individual balls. Let proof.

When proven fill each bun with 35g of pork filling and either refrigerate the remainder of the pork filling. When the steambuns have been filled, let proof again underneath a greased bit of clingfilm to prevent sticking. When proven steam for 6 minutes and serve.

Sambal

Method: In a food processor pulse the chillies, garlic and onion until finely chopped. In a flat round pot add a good splash of sesame oil, add the paste and sweat down without any colour on a low heat. Add the salt and sugar and cook down further for another 30 minutes stirring regularely to prevent sticking. The amount is more than enough for multiple servings, but it is such a nice thing that i recommend to double up the recipe as it keeps very well in a closed jar, personally i enjoy dipping salted crisp or prawn crackers in it for a midnight snack.

Laksa Foam

Method: Take the first 6 ingredients and blitz in a food processor. Add to a heavy bottomed pot with the sesame oil and sautee. Then add the chicken stock and coconut milk and bring to the boil, let simmer for 15 mins. Crush the lemongrass with the back of a knife and add to the soup.

Season with the Thai fish sauce, add a little at a time until just right, strain through a fine sieve and keep warm until needed. When ensembling the dish whizz up the laksa with a hand blender to foam up.

Presentation

Dress the plates with some cucumber for freshness, poached kumquats, coriander, thinly sliced spring onions, baby pak choi, a nice dollop of the sambal and the warm steam buns. To finish spoon a generous amount of foam on the plate

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