Dim Sum siu mai
No matter how many different types of cuisines I have tried, dim sum has always been my favorite. To me, it symbolize family and sharing. It is the definition of comfort food. Kind of a cheat since there are endless varieties. It is no wonder why dim sum was the reward after weekly sessions of Chinese School.
Dim sum 點心 is a style of Chinese cuisine, most popular from the Cantonese. When dim sum is directly translated it means to lightly touch the heart, a more accurate translation is to barely fill the stomach. Dim sum dishes are usually served with tea during brunch hours. Due to the Cantonese tradition of enjoying tea with this cuisine, yum cha 飲茶, which translates to drink tea in Cantonese, is also synonymous with dim sum. It is most commonly served as fully cooked, ready-to-eat dishes. In traditional Chinese restaurants, petite older women usually speaking in Cantonese push carts with loaded with mini dim sum steamer baskets. Each cart specialized in a specific kind of dim sum, each dish usually comes with 3 to 4 small pieces. Perfect for sharing! Some are filled with freshly steamed stuffed rice noodle rolls, some are filled with pan fried dumplings and some filled with sweet baos. As they push these carts around the restaurants, patrons usually call out or stop whatever the cart they see that satisfy their cravings. The kitchen is also open to creating custom pan fried noodles or fried rice.
dim sum siu mai
Prep time: 50 minutes | Total time: 1 hour
Yields: 30 individual siu mai
Ingredients:
6 small dried shiitakes mushrooms, about 1 ounce (see Cook's Note)
1/2 pound small shrimp, 31-40 count, peeled and deveined
Kosher salt
1 pound pork belly, skin removed and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine (see Cook's Note)
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon corn starch
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon of soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
30 round wonton wrappers
Small bowl of water
3 tablespoons finely chopped carrot, for garnish
Soy sauce and Indonesian chile paste such as Sambal Oelek, for serving
Special equipment:
mini food processor
a bamboo steamer
parchment paper round*
Instructions:
Put the dried shiitakes in a small heat-safe bowl. Pour enough boiling water to cover, about 1/2 cup. Set aside and soak until soften, about 5 minutes. Discard the liquid and trim the stems off. Add the caps to a carafe of a mini food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add to a large bowl.
Meanwhile, add the cleaned shrimp with 1 teaspoon of Kosher salt in a medium bowl. Toss until well coated. Set aside for 5 minutes. This will give the shrimp a firmer texture. Rinse the shrimp to remove the salt. Transfer to a colander and shake off excess water.
Transfer the shrimp to the carafe of a mini food processor. Pulse until the shrimp is uniformly chopped while having texture. You want to see small pieces of whole shrimp. If you pulse too much, it will become a paste, causing a lack of texture. Add the shrimp mixture to a large bowl with the shiitakes. Clean the food processor carafe.
Add half the pork belly to the carafe and pulse until it resembles a coarse ground pork. Transfer to the bowl with the shrimp mixture. Repeat with the remaining pork belly.
To the bowl of shiitakes, shrimp and pork, add the Shaoxing wine, oyster sauce, corn starch, ground ginger, sugar, toasted sesame oil, soy sauce and ground white pepper. Mix with a rubber spatula until well combined.
With the wonton wrapper in the palm of your hand, scoop a heaping tablespoon of the seasoned mixture into the center. Dip a finger into the water and run it along the perimeter. Gather up the edges of the wrapper, lightly pressing against the filling to adhere. Rotate the siu mai and squeeze it at the “waist”. Press down the filling with the back of a spoon to level it. Keeping the top open and the filling should be exposed. Flatten the bottom of the siu mai creating a base. Top with a pinch of finely chopped carrot. Place on a parchment lined plate or baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining.**
When ready to serve, fill a wok or other pan wider than the steamer with 3 inches of water. Fill a steamer basket with a parchment paper round and place 8 evenly spaced siu mai. Bring to a boil and place the bamboo steamers directly into the water. Cover with the bamboo steamer lid. Let steam until pork is cooked through, 10-12 minutes. Be sure to check the water to make sure there is enough to create steam. BE CAREFUL when removing as the steam can cause a bad burn. Always be cautious when removing from the hot steamers, use a dish towel or pot holders to protect hands.
Transfer to a plate and enjoy by dipping into soy sauce and Sambal oelek.
Cook’s Note
Shiitake mushrooms are dried mushrooms that are a staple in Asian cooking. They have an intense flavor that will add a burst of umami to any dish. They have to be hydrated with boiling water and will double in size.
Shaoxing wine is a variety of Chinese rice wine. It is made from fermented rice and is an essential ingredient in Chinese cuisine. It tastes much like dry sherry, which can be used as a substitute.
All the Chinese ingredients in this recipe can be found in a Chinese supermarket or Amazon.
*Take a sheet of parchment paper and fold in half to create a large rectangle. Fold in half again and create a square. Then fold the square into a triangle and fold that triangle in half again. This should create a flatten cone shape. Hold the center of the triangle against the pan, placing the point into the center point of the bamboo steamer. Hold the parchment right where it hits the edge of the steamer. Using scissors, trim the triangle about 1/4 inch from the edge of the pan. Make two little slits to create vents. Unfold the parchment and fit into the steamer basket. This tip can also be used to fit a round cake pan.
**Make ahead tip: Make a batch and transfer to a baking sheet in a single layer. Place in the freezer until they are completely frozen. Pop them in a zip top bag and heat a few whenever you are craving dim sum at home. When cooking from frozen, steam for 15-18 minutes.