Har Gow Or Chinese Shrimp Dumplings Recipes

HAR GOW (DIM SUM SHRIMP DUMPLINGS)

Steps:

• Mix everything (except the bamboo) together; whip in one direction for a few minutes until the mixture starts to look sticky. Now add the chopped bamboo shoots, and mix everything together. Cover and refrigerate while preparing the dough.
• Mix the wheat starch and cornstarch in a mixing bowl. Slowly add in the boiling water, while stirring rapidly. Now add in the lard (or oil) and continue to stir. Knead the dough for a couple of minutes, until it turns into a smooth dough ball. Roll the dough into a long cylinder, and divide it into 18 equal pieces. Cover the dough pieces with a damp paper towel.
• Turn on the stove to pre-boil the water in the steamer. Take one piece of dough and roll it into a 3" diameter circle. Add a spoonful of filling and fold the dumpling as shown in our video. Continue assembling until all the dumplings are made.
• Once the water in the steamer is boiled, steam the shrimp dumplings for 6 minutes using high heat and serve hot. Make sure that they each have an inch and a half to expand during the cooking process.

HAR GOW OR CHINESE SHRIMP DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• To make the filling, in a medium bowl, combine the shrimp, bamboo shoots, scallion, and ginger and stir to mix. Add the sesame oil, soy sauce, sugar, cornstarch, wine, white pepper, and salt and stir to mix well.
• To make the dough, in a medium bowl, combine the dumpling flour and salt and stir to mix. Add all but about 2 tablespoons of the boiling water and mix until the flour and liquid come together. Add the remaining water as needed to make the dough come together. Add the oil and mix it in either with a wooden spoon or your hands (be careful using your hands because the dough will be hot from the boiling water).
• Transfer the dough to an unfloored work surface and knead until it is very smooth. This will take 1 to 2 minutes. Form the dough into a ball, flatten it a bit, and then cut it into quarters. Transfer to a resealable plastic bag, seal, and let rest for a few minutes.
• Roll one of the 4 pieces of dough into a log about 8 inches long ((leaving the other 3 of the 4 portions of dough in the bag to keep them from drying out). Next cut the log into 8 pieces (see photos-cut the log in half, then cut each half in half, and then in half again.)
• Take one piece of dough and use your fingers to flatten it into a round disk about 1 ½ inches across and ¼-inch thick. If the dough is too sticky, moisten your fingers very lightly with a bit of cooking oil.
• Cut the sides of a sturdy Ziploc bag to open it up. Very lightly oil the inside of each half of the bag (I spritz with a tiny bit of oil, then wipe with a paper towel to distribute the oil and remove any excess-you really want just a very light film). Place the bag, open, on a tortilla press or work surface. Place a flattened dough piece on top and press, using the tortilla press, rolling pin, flat-bottomed heavy plate, or another heavy item, flatten into a very thin round about 3 ½ to 4 inches across. Repeat with the other 7 pieces of dough.
• Place about a heaping teaspoon of filling in the middle of each wrapper, fold one side of the circle up and pleat it into a crescent shape. Bring the other side of the circle up to meet it and press the two sides together firmly, making sure the dumpling is sealed up. See my notes about forming and filling the dumplings in batches.
• Place a round of perforated parchment in a bamboo steamer (I use a few 9-inch steamer baskets, but you could use one or two larger ones) and arrange the dumplings inside with a bit of space between them.
• Cover and steam over simmering water for 5 minutes.
• Serve immediately.

HAR GOW SHRIMP DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• To make the filling, toss the shrimp with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, put them in a strainer, and rinse under cold water. Transfer the shrimp to a paper towel and blot dry. Chop the shrimp into peanut-size pieces; halve each shrimp lengthwise first to make it easier. Put the shrimp into a bowl and add the pork fat, bamboo shoots, and scallion. Stir with chopsticks or a fork to evenly distribute the ingredients.
• In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, the cornstarch, sugar, white pepper, rice wine, and sesame oil, stirring to dissolve the cornstarch. Pour the seasonings over the shrimp mixture. Stir with chopsticks or a fork to ensure that all the shrimp are well coated. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 30 minutes or refrigerate for up to 4 hours to marinate. Makes about 1 1/3 cups.
• Working with 1 piece of dough at a time to form the wrappers, roll it on an unfloured work surface into an 8-inch log. Cut the log into 8 equal pieces. Follow the instructions on "Forming Wrappers from Wheat Starch Dough" (page 133) to shape circles that are each 3 to 3 1/4 inches in diameter.
• Before assembling the dumplings, line steamer trays and baking sheets with parchment paper, then oil the paper.
• To assemble a dumpling, hold a wrapper in a slightly cupped hand. Use a bamboo dumpling spatula, dinner knife, or fork to scoop up about 2 teaspoons of filling and place it slightly off-center toward the upper half of the wrapper, gently pressing to flatten slightly and keeping about 1/2 to 3/4 inch of wrapper clear on all sides. Then fold, pleat, and press to enclose the filling and create a pleated crescent (see page 29), finishing it by pinching the rim together between your fingers into a thin layer of dough that resembles a crown; this prevents the edge from being unpleasantly thick once cooked. If the skin breaks, dab a tiny bit of oil on the area and try smoothing out and patching up the wrapper. For the pouchy har gow shape, lightly press the unpleated side of the dumpling against the knuckle of a bent finger; this will softly arch the dumpling forward. If this shape proves too challenging, simply form a half-moon (see page 26). Set the finished dumpling in a prepared steamer tray. Assemble more dumplings from the remaining wrappers before working on the next batch of dough. Space them about 1/2 inch apart; if using a metal steamer tray, keep the dumplings 1 inch away from the edge where condensation will collect. Place overflow dumplings on the baking sheet with a good 1/2 inch between each and cover with plastic wrap. Once assembled, the dumplings should be cooked as soon as possible, because they cannot be refrigerated uncooked.
• Steam the dumplings over boiling water (see page 17 for guidance) for about 6 minutes, or until they have puffed slightly and are glossy and translucent. Remove each tray and place it atop a serving plate.
• Serve hot with soy sauce and chile garlic sauce. Cooked dumplings can be refrigerated, then steamed for about 3 minutes before serving. Cooked dumplings can also be frozen for up to 1 month, completely thawed in the refrigerator, and steamed for 3 to 5 minutes.