燒賣Siu Mai (Pork and Prawn Dumplings)

Prep 50 min·Cook 10 min·Rest 2h 30m

1. 1You're here
   Step 1.

   Soak the shiitake in warm water until soft. Squeeze dry, discard the stems and cut into 5 mm dice.

   4 pieces Dried shiitake mushrooms

   2 hKnife work
2. 2
   Step 2.

   Toss the prawns with the cornflour and a pinch of salt, rub for a minute, then rinse well under cold water. Pat completely dry with kitchen paper.

   200 g Raw king prawns, peeled and deveined1 tbsp Cornflour, for washing the prawns1 tsp Salt

   Mum's tip媽媽小貼士

   The starch pulls off slime and fishiness; drying is what keeps the prawns crunchy (爽) instead of watery.
3. 3
   Step 3.

   Cut half the prawns into 1 cm chunks. Smash the other half with the flat of the cleaver and chop to a coarse paste.

   200 g Raw king prawns, peeled and deveined

   Knife work
4. 4
   Step 4.

   Cut the pork into 5 mm dice, then chop about a third of it to a coarse mince. Dice the back fat to 3 mm.

   300 g Pork shoulder (梅頭), skinless40 g Pork back fat

   Knife work

   Mum's tip媽媽小貼士

   Hand-cut pork gives siu mai its meaty bite; shop mince turns pasty. Half-frozen pork is much easier to dice.
5. 5
   Step 5.

   Put the pork in a bowl with the remaining salt and stir hard in one direction for 2–3 minutes until sticky and stringy.

   300 g Pork shoulder (梅頭), skinless1 tsp Salt

   Marinate

   Mum's tip媽媽小貼士

   Salt dissolves the meat proteins into a glue that binds the filling and makes it bouncy.
6. 6
   Step 6.

   Add both prawn textures and stir until the paste binds. Then lift the mixture and slap it back into the bowl 15–20 times.

   200 g Raw king prawns, peeled and deveined300 g Pork shoulder (梅頭), skinless

   Mum's tip媽媽小貼士

   Slapping (撻) knocks out air pockets and gives the classic springy texture.
7. 7
   Step 7.

   Mix in the sugar, oyster sauce, white pepper, tapioca starch, shiitake and back fat, then the sesame oil. Cover and chill for 30 minutes.

   1½ tsp Sugar1 tsp Oyster sauce¼ tsp White pepper1½ tbsp Tapioca starch4 pieces Dried shiitake mushrooms40 g Pork back fat1 tsp Sesame oil

   30 minMarinate

   Mum's tip媽媽小貼士

   Chilled filling firms up and is far easier to shape. Sesame oil goes in last so it does not coat the meat and stop it binding.
8. 8
   Step 8.

   Make a circle with your thumb and index finger and lay a wrapper over it. Press in about 25 g filling with a butter knife.

   24 pieces Round yellow siu mai wrappers

   Simple wrapping
9. 9
   Step 9.

   Squeeze gently to form a waisted cylinder with the pleated wrapper hugging the filling. Smooth the top flat with a wet knife and tap the base on the board so it stands.

   24 pieces Round yellow siu mai wrappers

   Simple wrapping

   Mum's tip媽媽小貼士

   The filling should come right up to the rim, not bulge over it.
10. 10
    Step 10.

    Dot the tops with carrot. Brush the steamer rack with oil, set the siu mai 2 cm apart and steam over fully boiling water on high heat.

    20 g Carrot, very finely diced, for the tops1 tsp Oil, for the steamer

    8 minSteam

    Mum's tip媽媽小貼士

    About 8 minutes. They are done when the filling feels firm and springy and the prawn has turned pink.