Shrimp Dumplings

Shrimp Dumplings

Info

Rating
Calories
253.0
Protein
11.0
Sodium
515.0
Fat
6.0

Description

When we were children, shrimp dumplings were our favorite dim sum dish. The classic filling is shrimp and bamboo shoots. The dough is not difficult to make, but it is very important that the water be boiling hot. If it is not hot enough, the wheat starch will not cook and the dough will not work. Wheat starch _(dung fun)_is only available in Chinatown; regular white flour is not a substitute.

Ingredients

8 ounces medium shrimp, shelled and deveined
3 1/2 teaspoons plus 1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 large egg white, beaten
1 teaspoon thin soy sauce
1 teaspoon Shao Hsing rice cooking wine
3/4 teaspoon sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/2 cup canned shredded bamboo shoots, rinsed and finely chopped
1 tablespoon finely minced bacon fat
1 1/2 cups wheat starch (dung fun)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
8 large, flat, Napa cabbage leaves, about 1 pound

Directions

  1. In a medium bowl, combine the shrimp and 2 teaspoons corns tarch. Let stand for 10 minutes. Rinse in several changes of cold water and drain well. Finely chop the shrimp and place in a medium bowl. Add the salt, egg white, soy sauce, rice wine, sesame oil, sugar, pepper, and 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch. Stir in the bamboo shoots and minced bacon fat. Loosely wrap with plastic wrap and set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the wheat starch and remaining 1/4 cup cornstarch, and stir to combine. Make a well and add 1 cup boiling water, immediately stirring with a rubber spatula as you add the water (the mixture will have a faint fragrance of wheat starch). Stir in the vegetable oil. Carefully begin working the mixture for a few seconds at a time by hand, as the mixture will be very hot. Add an additional 1 to 2 tablespoons boiling water if dough is dry, and knead an additional 2 to 3 minutes, or until smooth and still hot to the touch.
  3. Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a cylinder about 8 inches long. Place 3 rolls in a plastic bag so they will not get dry. Cut the remaining roll into 10 pieces. Place each piece of dough between 2 sheets of lightly oiled foil, place the foil in a tortilla press, and press into a thin round. Peel off the round of dough; it should be about 3 inches in diameter and a scant 1/8 inch thick.
  4. Place about 1 1/2 teaspoons of the filling in the center of a dough round. Fold in half to form a half-moon and pinch one end of the half-moon together. Using your thumb and index finger, make 4 or 5 small pleats in the front piece of dough, then pinch together the remaining end of the dough to seal the dumpling. Place the dumpling on a plate. Continue making dumplings.
  5. Line a bamboo steamer, metal tier, or rack with 2 cabbage leaves. Place the dumplings on the leaves 1/4 inch apart. The dumplings should be cooked in batches; the size of your steamer rack will determine how many dumplings can be cooked at one time.
  6. Bring water to a boil over high heat in a covered steamer. If using a rack, the water level must not touch the cabbage leaves. Carefully place the bamboo steamer, metal tier, or rack into the steamer, cover, and steam 5 minutes on high heat, or until the shrimp is orange and visible through the translucent dough, and is just cooked. Check the water level and replenish, if necessary, with boiling water. Carefully remove dumplings from the steamer. Dumplings should be served immediately. Continue steaming the remaining dumplings using fresh cabbage leaves and replenishing the steamer with more boiling water.

Tags

    Appetizer Steam Shrimp Cabbage Sugar Conscious Dairy Free Peanut Free Tree Nut Free
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