TF's & MY's Shu Mai Dumplings

Ingredients for the shrimp filling:
1 pound shrimp, shelled and deveined
1/2 pound ground pork
1 green onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, grated
2 egg whites
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 T low sodium soy sauce, plus some for dipping
1 T sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 (10-ounce) package round wonton wrappers

canola oil, for brushing the steamer

savoy cabbage, for lining the steamer, optional

arugula, for garnish

Preparing the shrimp filling:
Pulse all the ingredients in a food processor until partly smooth but not completely pureed. It should have a little texture. Season with salt and pepper.

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Assembling the dumplings:
Hold a wonton wrapper in your hand. Dip a spoon in cold water and then drop 1 tablespoon of the filling onto the center of a wrapper (dipping the spoon in cold water first will make the filling come off easier). Gather the edges of the wrapper up around the filling and squeeze the sides slightly with your fingers. The sides will naturally pleat, leaving the filling slightly exposed. Tap the dumpling on the table so the bottom is flat and it stands upright. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling. (You can freeze the leftover filling for 2 or 3 weeks.)

Lightly oil the bottom of a 10-inch bamboo steamer and line it with the whole cabbage leaves. Stand the dumplings in the steamer in a single layer and don't let them touch. You should be able to get 12 shu mai in the steamer at a time. Bring 1 to 2 inches of water to a boil in a pot. Set the bamboo steamer over the pot, then cover it with the bamboo lid. Steam for 10 to 12 minutes or until the filling feels firm and is cooked through. Serve with arugula, soy sauce and/or duk sauce (or if you don't want to spend the time and can't find a good quality commercial duk sauce, I mix together some orange marmalade, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, a pinch of salt and a few drops of toasted sesame oil (play with the ratio to suit your taste).

Makes 36 dumplings

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Chinese New Year Dumplings & Dipping Sauce

Ingredients for dumplings:
1/2 lb. green cabbage, very finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
3 T Asian sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1 egg white
1 T Chinese rice wine, or dry sherry
1/2 lb. ground pork (or ground beef or lamb)
25 round Asian pasta wrappers, either store-bought or homemade

Ingredients for dipping sauce:
2 T white vinegar
2 T soy sauce
2 T Asian sesame oil
2 T Chinese rice wine, or dry sherry (optional)
pinch of chopped green onions
1-2 teaspoons red chili paste

Ingredients for homemade wonton wrappers:
7-9 T cold water
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Preparing the dumplings:
Toss the cabbage with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and let sit for 20 minutes. Drain off any excess water, then stir in the green onions.

Mix the sesame oil, sugar, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, the white pepper, egg white and wine into the pork. Add the cabbage misture and stir until evenly combined.

Holding a wrapper in the palm of one hand, place 1 tablespoon of the filling in the center of the wrapper. Tightly close up the dumpling in a half-moon shape. If using store-bought wrappers, dip your finger in water and trace the inside perimeter of the wrapper with water to help create a seal. Make sure each dumpling has a clean seal about 1/4-inch wide to prevent water from entering the dumplings when they are boiled. Repeat for all of the dumplings.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the dumplings and cook for 7 minutes. Drain.

Drizzle the dumplings with a little sesame oil to prevent sticking, and serve immediately with the dipping sauce.

Makes about 25 dumplings

Preparing the dipping sauce:
Mix together all ingredients. Taste and, if needed, add more vinegar or red chili paste to balance the flavors. Transfer to a small bowl and serve alongside the dumplings.

Preparing the wonton wrappers:
Mix 7 tablespoons of water into the flour until it forms a soft dough. Add more water as needed to bring the doiugh together. Shape into a ball and let sit for 15 minutes.

Form the dough into a long 1-inch thick roll. Cut the roll into 1-inch lengths, roll each into a ball, then use a rolling pin to roll out thin, round wrappers about 4 inches in diameter. Dust with flour to prevent wrappers from sticking to each other.

Makes about 25 wrappers

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Flower Dumplings, aka Sui Mei

1 lb. ground (minced) chicken
6 canned water chestnuts, drained and finely chopped
1 small carrot, grated
2 scallions (shallots/spring onions), finely chopped
1 teaspoon peeled and grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
1 teaspoon rice wine
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
2 T cornstarch (cornflour)
24 wonton wrappers

Combine ground chicken, water chestnuts, carrot, scallions, ginger, sesame oil, rice wine, soy sauce, salt, sugar and cornstarch in a bowl. Using wet hands, mix until well combined.

Place wonton wrappers on work surface and cover with a damp kitchen towel. Working with one wrapper at a time, lay it on the work surface and place 3 teaspoons of chicken filling in the center. Gather edges around filling, forming a basket, and gently squeeze center of dumpling to expose the filling at the top. Tap bottom of dumpling on work surface to flatten. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside. Repeat with remaining wonton wrappers.

Line a medium bamboo steamer with parchment. Half fill a medium wok with water (steamer shold not touch water) and bring to a boil. Arrange filled wontons in steamer, cover and place steamer over boiling water. Steam for 12 minutes, adding more boiling water to wok when necessary. Lift steamer off wok and carefully remove dumplings. Serve warm with soy sauce or ginger soy dipping sauce.

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Golden Shrimp Balls, Another Way

1 cup shrimp shelled and deveined
1/4 cup water chestnuts
1/4 cup scallions
1 T minced garlic
1 T minced ginger
1 T dry sherry
1 teaspoon red chili flakes
1 T sesame oil
1 teaspoon salt
2 egg whites
1 T canola oil
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
4 cups peanut oil for frying

Chop the shrimp finely and place in a large bowl. If using canned water chestnuts, rinse them well. If using fresh, peel them. Chop the water chestnuts finely, and add them along with the scallions to the shrimp. Add the garlic, ginger, sherry, chili flakes, sesame oil, salt, egg whites, and canola oil to the bowl and mix well. Form mixture into walnut-sized balls.

Mix the cornstarch and breadcrumbs in a shallow bowl. Drop a shrimp ball into the breadcrumb mixture and toss to coat well. Place coated balls on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and set aside.

In a deep pan heat the peanut oil to 350 degrees F. Drop the shrimp balls in a few at a time and fry until golden. Drain on paper towels and serve immediately with Chinese mustard dipping sauce.

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Golden Shrimp Balls, One Way

12 slices of day-old white bread
16 ounces jumbo shrimp (green king prawns), peeled and deveined
6 canned water chestnuts, drained and finely chopped
2 ounces bacon, finely chopped
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cornstarch (cornflour)
3 cups vegetable oil for deep-frying

Remove crust from bread. Cut bread into 1/4-inch cubes. Spread out on a tray and allow to dry at room temperature.

Flatten shrimp with the back of a cleaver, then finely chop. Combine the shrimp, water chestnuts and bacon in a bowl and stir in the sugar, salt and cornstarch. Mix well, and cover and chill for 30 minutes.

Roll 1 tablespoon of shrimp mixture in bread cubes to coat. Repeat with remaining mixture. Heat oil in a large wok or saucepan until it reaches 375 degrees F on a deep-frying thermometer, or use a small bread cube dropped in the oil sizzles and turns golden.

Working in batches, add shrimp balls and fry until golden, 1-2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove from oil and drain on paper towels.

Serve hot with sweet and sour sauce, or Chinese mustard dipping sauce.

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Steamed Pork Buns

For the dough:
1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/2 cup (4 fluid ounces) warm water
1/4 cup superfine (caster) sugar
1 cup (4 ounces) all purpose flour
1/2 cup (2 ounces) self-rising flour
3 teaspoons butter, melted

For the filling:
2 T vegetable oil
3 teaspoons peeled and grated fresh ginger
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 T hoisin sauce
1 T oyster sauce
1 T soy sauce
1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
3 teaspoons cornstarch (cornflour) mixed with 1 T water
8 ounces Chinese barbecue pork, finely chopped
6 scallions (shallots/spring onions), finely chopped

To make the dough, in a small bowl combine yeast with 2 tablespoons warm water, 1 teaspoon sugar and 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour. Mix until well combined. Cover with a kitchen towel and let stand in a warm place until frothy, about 15 minutes.

Sift remaining all-purpose and self-rising flour into a large bowl. Add remaining sugar, yeast mixture, remaining warm water and melted butter. Using a wooden spoon, mix to form a soft dough. Turn out onto a floured work surface and knead until smooth and elastic, 3-5 minutes. Place dough in a large oiled bowl, cover and let stand in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

To make filling, heat oil in a wok or frying pan over medium heat and fry ginger and garlic until aromatic, about 1 minute. Add hoisin sauce, oyster sauce, soy sauce and sesame oil. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the cornstarch and water mixture, bring to a boil and stir until sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in pork and scallions. Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool completely.

Punch down dough. Turn out onto a floured work surface and knead until smooth, about 5 minutes. Divide dough into 16 pieces and roll or press out each piece to form a 2 1/4-inch circle. Cover dough with a damp kitchen towel. Working with one round of dough at a time, spoon 2 teaspoons of filling into the center. Gather edges together, twist to seal and cover with a kitchen towel. Repeat with remaining dough.

Cut out 16 squares of parchment and place buns, sealed side down, on paper. Half fill a medium wok with water (steamer should not touch water) and bring to a boil. Working in batc hes, arrange buns in steamer, cover and place steamer over boiling water. Steam for 15 minutes, adding more boiling water to wok when necessary. Lift steamer off wok and carefully remove buns. Using scissors, snip the top of each bun twice, to resemble a star. Serve warm with soy, hoisin and/or duck sauces.

Makes 16 buns

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