Category: Appetizers

This is the classic Chinese dumpling, loosely based on the recipe of Ben Wang – Burlington’s own master dumpling maker. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture. I guess I will have to make them again soon so I can. Oh, too bad!

Makes 50 or so

2 cups Napa cabbage, sliced finely and chopped coarsely

1 t salt

½ t baking soda

bring 2 quarts of water to a boil

boil cabbage, rinse with cold water, drain and gently press

1 lb ground pork

3 shallots, minced

1 egg

1 t salt

1 T sugar

1 T ginger, minced

1 T rice wine

1 T soy sauce

1 T sesame oil

combine all and stir

The filling can be prepared the day before and kept in the refrigerator.

Take 1 package round wonton wrappers out of the freezer at least one hour before you are ready to start making the dumplings.

To make the dumplings:

Shortly before you are ready to steam them, make the dumplings. Hold the dumpling wrapper in the palm of your hand and place one rounded teaspoon of filling in the center. Wet the edges of the wrapper with water and fold in half, pressing the two sides together – making a half circle. There are many fancier ways to wrap these, but difficult to explain without pictures. Google “how to wrap pork dumplings” and look at images.

You can put wax paper between layers if you want to stack them.

Fill the pan under the steamer with enough water to almost reach the bottom of the steamer basket and begin heating. Lightly oil your steamer basket and place dumplings in basket ½ inch apart. When the water is getting close to boiling lower steamer into pan, cover and steam until the dumplings are cooked through, about 10 minutes.

Serve with Ginger-Soy Dipping Sauce.

Vietnam meet Thailand in these mouth pleasures.

Makes 30.

For this recipe, you will need a steamer basket of some kind. A simple collapsible steamer basket will do. Alternatively, you can get a bamboo or stainless steamer at an Asian market.

Mix in medium bowl:

1 block tofu, broken or cut into small pieces

¼ cup lemongrass, minced (I get this frozen at the Asian Market)

2 shallots, minced

1 t sea salt

1 t chiu chow chili oil (or any chili oil or ¼ t cayenne powder)

1 t sesame oil

2 kefir lime leaves, julienned and minced super fine

2 t kudzu powder mixed with 3 t cold water – stir and dissolve

combine all and stir

The filling can be prepared the day before and kept in the refrigerator.

Take 1 package round wonton wrappers out of the freezer at least one hour before you are ready to start making the dumplings.

NOTE: You can make these gluten free by using rice papers. Just cut them into small round circles, wet, and wrap.

To make the dumplings:

Shortly before you are ready to steam them, make the dumplings. Hold the wonton wrapper in the palm of your hand and place a half of a teaspoon of filling in the center. Cup your hand around the wonton wrapper, gathering folds up around the filling. Press the gathered folds up over the filling and together to make a ball that is pinched closed on the top. You can wet the edges of the dumpling wrapper first if you need more adhesion.

You can put wax paper between layers if you want to stack them.

Fill the pan under the steamer with enough water to almost reach the bottom of the steamer basket and begin heating. Lightly oil your steamer basket and place dumplings in basket ½ inch apart. When the water is getting close to boiling lower steamer into pan, cover and steam until the dumplings are cooked through, about 8 – 10 minutes.

Serve with Ginger-Soy Dipping Sauce.

Makes 30.

For this recipe, you will need a steamer basket of some kind. A simple collapsible steamer basket will do. Alternatively, you can get a bamboo or stainless steamer at an Asian market.

Mix in medium bowl

16 ounces shrimp, raw, peeled and chopped finely

1 can water chestnuts, minced

1 T finely grated ginger

4 T minced scallions

1 T dry sherry or vermouth

2 t sesame oil

2 t tamari

1 egg

½ t salt

Pinch ground pepper (or to taste)

The filling can be prepared the day before and kept in the refrigerator. To make the filling you can either chuck everything in the food processor and blend to yield a smooth filling – or you can mince everything by hand for a chunkier filling. If you are using the food processor method, I recommend putting the whole water chestnuts in the food processor first. Then coarsely chop the shrimp and toss it in. Chop the ginger and scallions pretty well. Add the rest of the ingredients and push go. Not too long if you want a chunky filling.

Take 1 package shu mai, wonton or dumpling wrappers, round out of the freezer at least one hour before you are ready to start making the dumplings.

To make the dumplings:

Shortly before you are ready to steam them, make the dumplings. Hold the dumpling wrapper in the palm of your hand and place one rounded teaspoon of filling in the center. Cup your hand around the wonton wrapper, gathering folds up around the filling. Press the gathered folds lightly around the filling to adhere, forming a cup-shaped dumpling.

NOTE: The picture shows the dumplings pinched together at the top. I forgot to that a photo when I made them for Chinese New Year’s when I put double the filling in and left it open on the top like a cup.

You can put wax paper between layers if you want to stack them.

Fill the pan under the steamer with enough water to almost reach the bottom of the steamer basket and begin heating. Lightly oil your steamer basket and place dumplings in basket ½ inch apart. When the water is getting close to boiling lower steamer into pan, cover and steam until the dumplings are cooked through, about 8 minutes.

Serve with Ginger-Soy Dipping Sauce.

 

Shopping list for Shu Mai

steamer basket

1 pound raw shrimp

water chestnuts

ginger

dry sherry or vermouth

sesame oil

egg

tamari

salt

ground pepper

scallions

1 package shu mai, wonton or dumpling wrappers, round

wax paper

Makes about 25 small bao.

Vietnamese Banh Bao usually include a quail egg and Vietnamese sausage. My easy recipe has a simple meat and mushroom filling and is similar to some of the Chinese Bao Zi I’ve had, but my family enjoys saying “Banh Bao” so that’s what we call them.

I make them small so I get 25 instead of just 12 like it says on the package. I also make a yeasted version which takes more time and doesn’t yield a significantly better bao. If you want to try it, get the Momofuku cookbook. You can use their dough to make traditionally shaped bao.

To make meat filling

Mix in small bowl:

1/2 pound ground pork, chicken, turkey or beef (or mixture)

8 shiitake mushrooms, reconstituted if dried, and chopped

1/2 small onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

about 2 T oyster sauce

½ t salt

pinch of ground black pepper

To make dough

Thoroughly mix by hand for ten minutes:

1 cup milk

¼ cup sugar

1 t vegetable oil

1 16 oz bag banh bao flour mix

Let sit for 15 minutes or so.

Knead for about 5 minutes.

Roll dough into a long cylinder and then divide dough into 25 sections.

To put together the bao

Cut wax paper into 25 2×2 inch squares.

For each Banh Bao, roll out each section of dough into a little circle. Put 1 T uncooked meat filling in center. Pleat dough up and around, gathering edges together on top. Pinch to seal well. Place on small square of wax paper and arrange in large steamer basket and large pot. Put extras on a cookie sheet and cover with a dish cloth.

To steam the bao

Put water in bottom of steamer or large pot with lid (and without the steamer basket) and set over high heat. When water starts to boil, put steamer tray on the pot and the lid on the steamer.

Steam until cooked through, about 15 minutes.
When done, allow to cool for about 10 minutes and enjoy.

Banh Bao freeze well. Put left-over steamed buns in a container in the freezer. Thaw for about 15 minutes and re-steam them for about 1-2 minutes.

Shopping list

large steamer basket

½ pound ground pork or other meat

8 shiitake mushrooms

1 16 oz package of banh bao flour mix (Ba Chuong Vang or other brand)

oyster sauce

onion

garlic

milk

sugar

veg oil

salt and pepper

wax paper

Makes 30.

For this recipe, you will need a steamer basket of some kind. A simple collapsible steamer basket will do. Alternatively, you can get a bamboo or stainless steamer at an Asian market.

Mix in medium bowl:

12 ounces shrimp, raw, peeled and coarsely chopped

4 ounces ground pork

12 water chestnuts, minced

1 T finely grated ginger

1 T dry sherry or vermouth

1 T cornstarch

1 ½ T oyster sauce

2 t sesame oil

1 egg white

1 t sugar

½ t salt

Pinch ground pepper (or to taste)

4 T minced scallion greens

The filling can be prepared the day before and kept in the refrigerator.

Take 1 package wonton wrappers, round out of the freezer at least one hour before you are ready to start making the dumplings.

To make the dumplings:

Shortly before you are ready to steam them, make the dumplings. Hold the wonton wrapper in the palm of your hand and place one rounded teaspoon of filling in the center. Cup your hand around the wonton wrapper, gathering folds up around the filling. Press the gathered folds lightly around the filling to adhere, forming a cup-shaped dumpling.

You can put wax paper between layers if you want to stack them.

Fill the pan under the steamer with enough water to almost reach the bottom of the steamer basket and begin heating. Lightly oil your steamer basket and place dumplings in basket ½ inch apart. When the water is getting close to boiling lower steamer into pan, cover and steam until the dumplings are cooked through, about 5 minutes.

Serve with Ginger-Soy Dipping Sauce.

Shopping list

steamer basket

12 oz shrimp

4 oz ground pork

water chestnuts

ginger

dry sherry or vermouth

cornstarch

oyster sauce

sesame oil

egg white

sugar

salt

ground pepper

scallion greens

1 package wonton wrappers, round

wax paper

This recipe can be prepared a day or two in advance. If there is any left over, use it in a stir fry or on noodles.

Mix in small sauce pan:

¼ cup soy sauce

¼ cup rice vinegar

2 ½ t sugar or honey

¼ cup water

Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves. Pour into small bowl.

Stir in:

½ medium scallion, minced

2 t fresh ginger, minced or finely grated

½ t sesame oil

½ t chili oil

Serve with Shrimp Shu Mai  or Steamed Dumplings with Shrimp and Pork.

 

Shopping list

soy sauce

rice vinegar

sugar

scallions

fresh ginger

sesame oil

chili oil