Slow Cooker Peking Chicken with Steamed Buns (Cuapao)

Slow Cooker Peking Chicken with Steamed Buns (Cuapao)

The slow cooker Peking chicken can be used two ways in a veggie rice bowl dish or in the steamed bun snack called Cuapao.  Another slow cooker two meals in one recipe.

I have eaten Peking duck mostly in the Chinese restaurants in the Philippines which our family used to frequent on special occasions like our piano recitals. I do remember the crackling skin of the Peking duck and the sweet, salty taste of the sauce.  I also do recall the thin pancakes that were served on the side to eat the duck with.  The last time I ate it was in my sister-in-law's (Pinky) Sunday dinner at her family's home in Quezon City.  Pinky's sister, Pamela, brought a special take out version of the Peking duck.  The skin was actually separated from the meat part.  This was convenient since Filipinos cherish the skin particularly and this ensures that everybody gets to relish this part of the duck.

The special Peking Duck Pamela brought to the family gathering.  Left to right, the lettuce for preparing the wrap, the crackling skin with special topping and the meat wrapped in lumpia wrapper similar to the egg roll wrapper.  The sauce is shown above this trio.

The Peking Duck Wrap from store bought Peking Duck brought by Pamela.

This is the picture of my brother Benjie's wife, Pinky's family, the Singsons.  The matriarch of the family the wonderful Angie Singson is in the middle of the second row in black.  My brother Benjie and wife Pinky are on the top row second and first from the right respectively.  Pamela who brought the special Peking Duck is second from the left top row. They take yearly pictures of the family during one of their gatherings.  Each family even take turns posing without being prompted, like clockwork.  So heartwarming and amazing. 

I have heard of stories of how the skin of a duck is made crispy.   One friend told me (and I hope I remember this correctly since it has been more than 40 years ago) that the best way to make the skin crispy was to inflate it first using air and then let the skin dry by hanging the inflated chicken on a hook. The same source continued her tale by saying they hanged the duck using clips on the rack while they were roasted to allow the oil to drip.  After hearing this, one would feel like just buying this Peking duck or just getting it at the nearest Chinese restaurant rather than preparing it yourself.  But wait, there is a very easy way. Read on. 

I did have a craving for the taste of Peking duck especially its sauce but I would not go into all that trouble described by my friend to make it.  For one thing I did not happen to have any duck in my freezer and for me it was the sauce rather than the crackling skin that I wanted.  Since that is the case, I decided skinless, boneless chicken thighs would suffice. I also felt I can trust my slow cooker to do the cooking of this dish. 

I found a recipe that I felt might be close to the sauce I want in the Filipino Cookbook of Pittsburgh edited by Antoinette Angeles.  It was actually the recipe for the filling for Filipino steamed bun snack called Pork Siopao.  I tweaked it a bit here and there by substituting chicken for ground pork and increasing the amount of sugar.  Its ingredients were pretty close to the ones described by Jaden in her highly informative and delightful Steamy Kitchen website.  Jaden's recipe for Peking Chicken was done in the stove top. 

This recipe is another two meals from one crock pot dish.  By itself, it can be eaten as is with rice or noodles and either raw or steamed vegetables.

Slow Cooker Peking Chicken used in a Rice Bowl dish with raw or steamed napa cabbage, peppers, brocolli and green onions.

The cooked chicken can also be used to stuff steamed buns.  I know iit sounds daunting to prepare steamed buns but wait till you hear what you can use.  Pillsbury Buttermilk Biscuit Dough in a can!

Slow Cooker Peking Chicken with Steamed Buns (Cuapao)

Jaden of Steamy Kitchen tells a delightful story of how she discovered this method from her own mother and it took her 7 years before she finally used correctly what her mother suggested, the very American Pillsbury Buttermilk Biscuit Dough in a can.  It did not work for her the first time since she used crescent dough in a can.   (Note: do not use any other kind of dough like crescent rolls or pizza etc.)

We are using the open faced steamed buns which we call in the Philippines, Cuapao.  The original and more popular Filipino steamed bun, Siopao, is different in that the filling is totally enclosed in the dough.  Nowadays, one can find in the restaurants and fast food places in the Philippines the open faced version.  (This actually made Jaden of Steamy Kitchen to tell her children that the Chinese invented the hamburger. lol)  This open version rather than the enclosed one is what I am opting as the the other meal from this crock pot dish.  Instructions for the steamed bun using Pillsbury Biscuit dough is in Steamy Kitchen.  An alternative made from scratch recipe for the dough for any steamed bunswhether Cuapao or Siopao is given in Panlasang Pinoy. 

Slow Cooker Peking Chicken with Steamed Buns (Cuapao)

• 2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken thighs (or breasts) 
• 1 tsp ginger, minced
• 3 tbsp green onions, chopped
• 2 tbsp sherry cooking wine
• 6 tsps sugar (I used Splenda)
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• 3-4 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp water
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 can refrigerated biscuit dough (I used Pillsbury Grands buttermilk biscuit dough)

Combine all the ingredients in the slow cooker except the refrigerated biscuit dough.  Cook for 6 hours in the slow cooker at low setting and 3 hours at high setting.

To prepare the Peking Chicken Steamed Buns (Cuapao).

Prepare the steamed buns using the refrigerated biscuit dough following the directions in Steamy Kitchen.

You can either shred the cooked chicken or cut a thin slice about the length of the steamed bun.  Split the bun but not all the way through and place the chicken inside the steamed bun.  Add about a tsp or so of the sauce on the bun itself.  Top with shredded napa cabbage, peppers, green onions and if you like jalapeno peppers.  You can use also shredded carrots, cucumbers. green cabbage. 

I steamed the refrigerated dough using the steamer bowl of my rice cooker/slow cooker set at steamer setting.  You can also just place water in a wok and place a bamboo steamer on top. Be sure to place the buns on top of a piece of wax paper before steaming.  See Steamy Kitchen's step by step directions and video.

This is how the dough looks after being steamed. 

You can heat the whole thing in the microwave if you are starting with a cold bun for about 20 or 30 seconds for the sauce to be absorbed by the bun.  I actually made the steamed bun the day I made the chicken and refrigerated it and then prepared the Cuapao the next day.  You can also use it after you made the buns but I will still heat it a bit.  Of course I ate the rice bowl version with the veggies the same day I made the chicken.  I almost ate the whole thing.  So so good. 

Your two meals in one chicken preparation in your slow cooker.