This recipe is from the newly published Yum Yum Cha, Let’s Eat Dim Sum in Hawaii by Muriel Miura and yours truly. The title of the book is a play on the phrase Yum Cha. In Cantonese, you’ll ask friends to eat dim sum by asking them to drink tea (yum cha). At dim sum restaurants, there always will be hot tea, but the stars of the show will be the delectable small bites.
Lap cheong bao is a hot dog in a bun using Chinese ingredients. Store-bought refrigerated dough is the bun (bao) and Chinese sausages (lap cheong) are used to make a sophisticated hot dog.
The slightly sweet sausages are wrapped in bread, then baked. This simple offering at dim sum restaurants is a refreshing change from char siu bao and is easy to make.
I was lucky enough to be friends with Muriel, the superstar recipe writer and home economist who’s written more than 25 cookbooks. Her dream for many years was to write a dim sum cookbook for her grandchildren. After she passed away last year, I was fortunate to be asked to finish her project of love.
Yum Yum Cha, Let’s Eat Dim Sum in Hawaii is available at Mutual Publishing or lynettecooks.com for $20.95.
Lap Cheong Bao
Ingredients:
• 8 Chinese sweet sausages (lap cheong)
• 1 16.3-ounce can refrigerated ready-to-bake original or Hawaiian sweetbread rolls
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• Optional: 1 large egg, beaten
Directions:
Puncture sausage with a fork. Place sausage in a saucepan and cover with water on high heat.
Cook for 10 minutes. Cool sausage. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Using a rolling pin, flatten each roll to about 4-by-3 inches and sprinkle with sugar. Place sausage in middle and wrap dough around it. Place on baking tray lined with foil. Brush tops with beaten egg for shine. Bake until bread is cooked, about 15 minutes. Serve whole or cut in half while warm.
Makes 8.
Lynette Lo Tom is the author of cookbooks A Chinese Kitchen and Back in the Day. She wants to hear about your cooking shortcuts. Reach her at lynette@brightlightcookery.com or @brightlightcookery on Instagram.
