Siu Mai Recipes

Steps:

• Mix everything together thoroughly except the wonton wrappers.
• Place a tablespoon of the mixture at the center of each wonton wrapper on top of your palm. Gather the edges around it, pleating it as you go, making an open flat top. Repeat with others.
• Meanwhile, prepare the steamer by boiling water underneath it and oiling the racks.
• Arrange the dumplings on top of the racks 1/2 inch apart and steam for about 15 to 20 minutes.
• Serve with soy sauce or chili paste (if you want it hot).

Steps:

• Dumplings: In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg white, sesame oil and arrowroot until frothy. Stir in the bell pepper, carrot, peas, chives, ginger, salt, and shrimp. Put 1/2 of the mixture in a food processor. Blend until the mixture forms a chunky paste. Return the paste to the bowl and combine it with the remaining vegetable mixture. Cut each egg roll wrapper into 4 equal-sized squares. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the mixture into the center of each piece of dough. Gather the sides of the egg roll wrapper around the filling leaving the top of the filling uncovered. If necessary, use a little water to help secure the wrapper in place. Spray the bottom of a bamboo or stainless steel steamer with vegetable oil cooking spray. Working in batches, stand the dumplings, uncovered filling side up, in the steamer and cover. Steam until the shrimp turn pink and are cooked through, about 6 to 8 minutes.
• Dipping sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, honey, hot sauce and garlic.
• Arrange the dumplings on a platter and serve the dipping sauce alongside.

Steps:

• Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the mushrooms, turn off the heat, cover and soak until rehydrated, about 30 minutes.
• Drain the mushrooms and remove and discard the stems. Finely dice the mushrooms; set aside.
• Whisk 4 cups of cold water and 1 tablespoon of the baking soda in a large bowl until the baking soda is dissolved. Lightly massage the shrimp 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. Roughly chop the shrimp into 1/2-inch pieces; set aside.
• Coarsely chop the pork belly into approximately 1/2-inch pieces (they don't have to be perfect). Continue to chop until it resembles coarsely ground pork (but don't chop it so finely that it becomes smooth). Transfer the pork to a large bowl and fill with enough cold water to cover. Let soak until the water turns pink, about 5 minutes. Drain the water and repeat the soaking process once more until the pork is a bit opaque. Drain and pat dry with paper towels. Reserve the bowl.
• Transfer the pork back to the bowl, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon cold water and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon baking soda and mix until the baking soda is absorbed. Mix in the reserved shrimp until combined. Add 1 tablespoon salt to the pork and shrimp filling and mix in one direction until the mixture is sticky and leaves streaks along the sides of the bowl, about 3 minutes. Gather the filling in one hand, lift it up and away from the bowl and throw it back into the bowl. Repeat 9 additional times to help bring the filling together and produce the desired texture.
• Add the sugar, chicken powder, soy sauce and white pepper to the filling and stir until combined. Add the reserved mushrooms and lard and mix until combined. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Cover the wonton wrappers with a damp paper towel to prevent them from drying out. Using your nondominant hand, put your index finger and thumb together to form a circle and place 1 wonton wrapper on top of the circle. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of the filling into the center of the wrapper and use the spoon to pack in the filling while gently squeezing on the sides to form the wrapper around the filling. Add a little more filling if it doesn't reach the top of the dumpling (see Cook's Note). Place the siu mai on a parchment-lined plate or tray. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling.
• If desired, top each siu mai with a pea-size scoop of flying fish roe or minced carrot (a little less than 1/8 teaspoon) or 1 frozen pea.
• 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 siu mai on the parchment, leaving an inch between each. Cover and steam until the filling is opaque and the wrapper is translucent, about 10 minutes. Enjoy while hot. Continue with the remaining siu mai.

Steps:

• In a small bowl soak the mushrooms in 1/2 cup cold water 30 minutes or until softened.
• Drain and squeeze dry, reserving the soaking liquid.
• Cut off and discard the stems and mince the caps.
• In a processor, chop shrimp into small pieces.
• Add to pork and remaining ingredients.
• Add 1- 1 1/2 tsp mushroom water.
• Put the won ton wrappers on a work surface and lightly cover with a damp towel.
• Touch the tip of your left index finger to the tip of your thumb to form a small empty circle, or hole.
• Put one wrapper over the hole and put1 tablespoon filling in the center of the wrapper.
• Let the filled wrapper drop halfway through the hole, and gently squeeze it closed with your fingers.
• Put on a work surface and carefully pleat the excess wrapper, pressing down the filling.
• Put the dumpling upright on a plate.
• Continue filling the rest of the wrappers.
• Press 1 caper on top of each dumpling.
• Line a 12-inch bamboo steamer with a cheesecloth, or add oil to a plate.
• Place half the dumplings on the plate, 1/2-inch apart.
• Cover the steamer with its lid.
• Add water to a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok to a depth of 3/4-inch and bring to a boil over high heat.
• Carefully put the steamer in the wok, and steam on high heat 15 minutes or until the pork is no longer pink and just cooked.
• Be sure to check the water level from time to time and replenish, if necessary, with boiling water.
• Carefully remove the steamer from the wok.
• The dumplings should be served immediately.
• Continue steaming the remaining dumplings, replenishing the wok with more boiling water.

Steps:

• To make the filling, in a bowl, combine the pork, mushrooms, water chestnuts, and scallions. Use a fork or spatula to stir and lightly mash the ingredients together so they begin to blend.
• Put the salt, sugar, white pepper, cornstarch, soy sauce, rice wine, sesame oil, and egg white into a small bowl and stir to combine well. Pour over the meat mixture, and stir, fold, and mash everything together until they cohere into a compact mass. Cover the filling with plastic wrap and set aside for 30 minutes, or refrigerate overnight, returning it to room temperature before assembling the dumplings. You should have a generous 2 cups of filling.
• Before assembling the dumplings, line steamer trays and/or a baking sheet with parchment paper. For the baking sheet, lightly dust the paper with cornstarch to prevent sticking. Set aside. Hold a skin in one hand. Scoop up about 1 tablespoon of filling with a bamboo dumpling spatula, dinner knife, or fork and position it in the center of the skin, pressing down gently. Pick up the skin and gather and pinch it together to form an open bag (see page 74). Crown the dumpling with some finely diced carrot or a pea. If steaming right away, place each finished dumpling in a steamer tray open side up, spacing them 1/2 inch apart, and 1 inch away from the edge if you are using a metal steamer. Otherwise, place the waiting dumplings on the baking sheet a good 1/2 inch apart. Keeping the finished dumplings covered with a dry kitchen towel to prevent drying, form and fill wrappers from the remaining dough. Dumplings made several hours in advance of cooking should be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated. For longer storage, freeze them on their baking sheet until hard (about 1 hour), transfer them to a plastic container, and keep them frozen for up to 1 month; partially thaw them before steaming.
• To cook, steam the dumplings over boiling water (steaming guidelines are on page 17) for 6 to 8 minutes, until the dumplings have puffed slightly and their skins have become translucent. Remove each tray and place it a top a serving plate.
• Serve immediately with the soy sauce and hot mustard. Invite guests to mix up their own dipping sauce.

Steps:

• Put the water chestnuts, ginger, spring onion, light soy sauce, rice wine, sesame oil, prawns, pork, egg white and potato flour in a bowl and mix throughly with your hands to combine. Leave to marinate for 20-30 mins for the flavours to mingle.
• Stack the wrappers on a work surface covered with a damp cloth and line a baking tray with non-stick baking parchment. Put a wrapper in the palm of your hand and add 1 tbsp of the filling into the centre. Bring up the sides of the wrapper around the filling to make a basket shape, but don't squeeze the top together - you should still be able to see the filling.
• Add more filling if needed until it's reached the top of the gap, pressing down gently with a damp finger until flat. Tap the dumpling on the bench to flatten the base and put on the prepared tray. Add a goji berry, if you like. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling until you have about 20 dumplings.
• Put a disc of non-stick parchment into a steamer and fill with some of the dumplings, leaving a little space between each. Cover and steam over a wok of simmering water for 8-10 mins, or use an electric steamer. Repeat with the remaining dumplings. Serve with the dipping sauce.