Shao Mao or Siu Mai (Pork & Shrimp Dumplings)

So this is the staple steamed pork and shrimp dumpling that you'll find at every and any dim sum restaurant around. In Mandarin it's called 'Shao Mai' and in Cantonese, 'Siu Mai.'  It's relatively easy to make, especially after your first attempt (aren't most recipes that way?). The fresher the shrimp, the better, and if you can find 'Shao Mai' wrappers at your local Asian market, well then, fantastic! Otherwise, regular square wonton wrappers will do - just trim off those square corners to make them more round, and voila! Lastly, DO NOT OVERCOOK these guys. I steam them over high heat for about 4-5 minutes only and let them rest a couple more minutes (off the heat) before serving. Shao Mai can be made in advance and frozen in a ziploc bag in a single layer, so they don't stick together. My original recipe included soy sauce, water chestnuts, ginger and scallions, but I've omitted these and and taken some direction from www.woksoflife.com. Their use of a stand mixer instead of hand mixing is genius! I use a lot less sugar in the meat mixture than they do, but that's just my taste: I think 1 tsp. rather than 1 tbsp. is more than enough to season everything nicely.

Ingredients:
2-4 dried shiitake mushrooms (should measure 1/3 cup after reconstituted and diced)

8 oz. deveined, peeled raw shrimp

1 tsp. baking soda

4 tbsp. water

1 lb. ground pork
1 tbsp. Shaohsing or Michiu rice wine
1 tbsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. white pepper
1 tsp. sugar

1 tbsp. vegetable oil

1 tbsp. sesame oil

1 tbsp. oyster sauce

1 pkg. Shao Mai or wonton wrappers

Finely minced carrots or flying fish roe (tobiko) for garnish

Condiments: chili garlic sauce, chili oil, Chinese mustard, and/or light soy sauce

1. Place the dried shiitakes into a medium bowl and cover with hot water; let sit 30 minutes or until the mushrooms are rehydrated. Squeeze lightly dry and place on a chopping board; cut off stem and cut the caps into small dice; set aside. 

2. Place the peeled, deveined raw shrimp into a bowl and mix with 1 tsp. baking soda and 4 tbsp. water; let sit for 15 minutes then rinse the shrimp well in a colander under running water; drain and cut the shrimp into halves or thirds and set aside.

3. Place the ground pork in the mixing bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment; add the rice wine, cornstarch, salt, white pepper and sugar. Mix the pork at medium low for 5 minutes or until the pork is pasty in texture (or mixing with chopsticks or fork in one direction for 10-15 minutes to achieve the same texture).

4. Scrape down the bowl and add the coarsely chopped shrimp. Turn the mixer on low speed for 2 minutes; increase speed to medium and mix another 2 minutes (or mixing in one direction for 10 minutes by hand).

5. Add the chopped shiitake mushrooms, 1 tbsp. oil, 2 tsp. sesame oil and 1 tbsp. oyster sauce; mix at medium speed for 1 minute (or 2-3 minutes by hand).

6. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper; set aside. 

7. Fill a small bowl with water. Place a shao mai wrapper in the center of your palm and scoop one heaping tablespoon of filling in the center. Then, dip the index finger of your free hand into the bowl of water and blot the outer edges of the shao mai wrapper with water (this will help it adhere to the filling). Slowly, fold up and twist the wrapper, just a tad counterclockwise, around the filling, then tamp the bottom of the dumpling down on a flat surface, such as a cutting board, to make it flat. Place the finished dumpling on the lined baking sheet. Continue making dumplings until all the filling is used up - should make a total of about 30 dumplings. Garnish each with some minced carrot or small orange fish roe (e.g., tobiko).

8. Spray the bottom of a perforated steamer with non-stick cooking spray. Line with dumplings and steam over high heat about 8-9 minutes. Remove the steamer tray from heat and let the dumplings sit a couple minutes before serving. Serve hot with chili garlic sauce, chili oil, Chinese mustard and/or light soy sauce on the side.

Reconstitute the dried shiitakes in hot water.

Marinate the shrimp in baking soda and water for 15 minutes; rinse well and drain. Cut into large pieces (into halves or thirds) & set aside.

Mix the ground pork with rice wine, cornstarch, salt, white pepper and sugar over medium low speed for 5 minutes. 

Scrape down the bowl and add the shrimp; mix at low speed for 2 minutes, increase to medium speed and mix another 2 minutes.

Add the chopped shiitakes, vegetable oil, sesame oil, and oyster sauce and mix over medium speed for 1 minute.

Mixture should look pasty and well incorporated.

Shao Mai (or Shu Mai here) wrappers.

Place wrapper on your palm and fill center with a heaping spoon of filling.

Using the index finger of your other hand, wet the edges of the wrapper with water, then start to gather up the wrapper, in a slightly counterclockwise motion, around the filling.

These are open-faced dumplings, so leave the tops exposed. Tamp the bottom of the dumpling down on a flat surface, such as a chopping board, so that it will stand up better. 

Place completed dumplings on a parchment or foil-lined baking sheet.

Steam dumplings, covered, over high heat, 8-9 minutes or until just done. Remove the steamer basket away from the heat, so that the dumplings don't continue cooking (overcooking makes the filling tough), and let stand a couple minutes before serving. 

Served with chili garlic sauce and Chinese mustard.

Served with chili garlic sauce and light soy sauce.