Dim Sum - Siu Mai

Recipe: Dim Sum - Siu Mai点心——烧卖

Makes: 33 pcs

Ingredients

33 pcs thin wonton wrappers Ingredients A 200g ground pork 1 TBSP fish paste 1 clove garlic (finely chopped) 1 TBSP finely chopped spring onion (green part) Ingredient B 120g / 12 med-size fresh shrimps (finely chopped) Ingredient C (optional) 65g / 2 crab sticks (finely chopped)

Ingredient D (toppings) green peas / whole fresh shrimps / minced carrot Seasonings 1 TBSP ShaoXing cooking rice wine ¼ tsp. sesame oil ¼ tsp. salt ¼ tsp. sugar ½ tsp. chicken bouillon granules 1/8 tsp. to ¼ tsp. pepper 2 TBSP water (add gradually) Condiment Store bought sweet chili sauce or garlic chili sauce

Measurements: tsp. = teaspoon | TBSP = tablespoon

Preparation
1. Mix ingredients A in a mixing bowl. Add all seasonings except water. Combine well. Gradually add water, stir mixture in one direction until no visible water then only add again. Keep adding water until mixture is not too Then, add ingredients B (finely chopped shrimps) and combine well.	2. Add ingredient C (finely chopped crab sticks) into ground pork mixture and combine well. You may divide ground pork mixture into several portions and add in different types of finely chopped fillings such as pre-soaked shiitake mushrooms, ham etc.	3. Cut the corners of wonton wrappers in batches with kitchen scissors to turn them into circles. Always place a cut wrapper on top of a new batch of uncut wonton wrappers as guideline in order to have equal size of circles.
4. Lay each wonton wrapper flat on your working surface. Let the sides with more flour face down. Scoop 2 tsp. or about ½ TBSP of ground pork mixture filling in the center of each wonton wrapper.	5. Grab one side and start pleating. Pleat and press the pleated wonton skin towards the filling inside.	6. Keep pleating and pressing until filling is completely wrapped up (about 9 pleats). Decorate with toppings.
7. Slightly fold the top edges down. Then, hold siu mai on your left palm and slightly twist center of siu mai to the left with your right thumb and index finger.	8. When wrapping is done, arrange siu mai on a plate, do not layer siu mai, cover with cling wrap and store them in freezer or wait for steammer to heat up to steam immediately.	9. Line bamboo steamers with steamer liners (Cut banana leaves or parchment papers into the right size of circles with scissors. Then punch holes in the center as well as edges of each circle with a hole puncher).
10. Arrange siu mai in bamboo steamer. You can have them arrange close to each other.	11. When steamer is heated up, steam fresh siu mai over high heat for 8 to 10 minutes or frozen unthawed siu mai for 15 minutes (rinse unthawed siu mai under running tap water before steaming).	12. Serve siu mai hot with store bought sweet chili sauce or garlic chili sauce.

Notes

Uncooked siu mai can be stored in freezer for weeks. To prevent siu mai from sticking when storing in freezer, have them arrange in only one layer on a plate and cover with cling wrap. After 1 hour of freezing, then only transfer them one by one into a container and continue storing in freezer. To cook frozen uncooked siu mai, have your steamer heated up. Rinse frozen siu mai under running tap water, arrange them in steamer and steam for 15 minutes over high heat. I found that rinsing frozen siu mai before steaming makes siu mai skins come out moist and clean without any visible flour.