Har Gow Recipes

Steps:

• Fill a large bowl with 6 cups of cold water and whisk in the baking soda until dissolved. Add the shrimp to the bowl, lightly massage it in the baking soda water and let soak for 30 minutes.
• Drain the shrimp, rinse under cold running water, drain again and pat dry with paper towels.
• Finely chop 1/4 cup of the shrimp to a paste and add to a large bowl. Coarsely chop the remaining shrimp into 1/2-inch pieces and transfer to the same bowl. Add the sugar, chicken bouillon powder, white pepper, 2 teaspoons of the tapioca starch and 1/2 teaspoon salt and mix in one direction until streaks form on the side of the bowl, about 1 minute. Mix in the toasted sesame oil and 1 tablespoon of the lard until incorporated. Refrigerate until needed.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment. Bring 1 cup cold water to a boil in a small pot.
• Meanwhile, sift the wheat starch and remaining 1/3 cup tapioca starch with a fine-mesh strainer into a large bowl. Stir 1/2 teaspoon salt into the boiling water until dissolved, then slowly pour over the wheat starch mixture and mix with a wooden spoon or chopsticks. Cover and let rest for 5 minutes. Add the remaining tablespoon of lard and knead until incorporated.
• Lightly dust a work surface with wheat starch and turn out the dough onto it. Knead the dough until smooth. Divide in half and roll each piece into a 15-inch log. Cut each log into 1-inch pieces and cover the dough pieces with a damp paper towel or lint-free kitchen towel. Working with one piece of dough at a time, dust the dough with some wheat starch, press into a 2-inch circle and then roll out into a thin 3- to 3 1/2-inch circle, keeping the edges thinner than the center.
• Put the dough circle in front of you and place a scant tablespoon of the shrimp filling in the center of it. Starting at the right edge of the circle at the "3-o'clock" position, make small pleats counterclockwise along the edge until you reach the "9-o 'clock" position (the goal is around 8 pleats for good luck). Fold up the dough edge closest to you and attach it to the inside edge of the pleats to close up the opening. Pinch to seal and press lightly to thin out the edge. Place the har gow on the prepared baking sheet and repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
• Fill a 12-inch skillet or wok with about 2 inches of water and place a 10-inch bamboo or metal steamer basket in the skillet. Make sure the water doesn't touch the bottom of the insert. If it does, remove some of it. Bring the water to a rolling boil, line the steamer basket with a perforated parchment circle and place 10 har gow into the steamer basket, leaving about an inch between each. Cover and steam until the filling is bright orange and the wrappers are translucent, 6 to 8 minutes. Cool for a minute to set the skin, then enjoy while warm. Continue with the remaining har gow.

Steps:

• Mix filling ingredients together; stir in one direction, mixing thoroughly; refrigerate this mixture for 1 hour.
• Combine dip ingredients and set aside.
• Sift flour and starch together; gradually add boiling water; add oil and let dough cool.
• Knead dough until smooth; divide dough in half and shape each half into a sausage; divide each sausage into twelve pieces (24 pieces total); when not working with the dough, keep it covered with a damp towel.
• Oil a cleaver and your work surface lightly; press a piece of dough, with the oiled cleaver, into a flat round circle.
• To shape each dumpling- Make 3 deep pleats in the top half of a dough circle to form a little crescent cap; fill with 1 teaspoon of the shrimp mixture; press dough edges together and place dumplings on a lightly oiled plate or an oiled piece of parchment paper over the holes on the first level of the steamer.
• Bring water to boil in the bottom part of the steamer; place steamer section with dumplings over boiling water (if you have multiple'tiers' or sections of the steamer, you can cook them all at once).
• Cover and steam 5 minutes.
• Serve with dip.
• These can be made ahead through the shaping of the dumplings, keeping them covered with a damp cloth or, you can shape the dumplings and freeze them before steaming, defrost before steaming.