Equipment
Ingredients
Filling
- 200 g shrimp, peeled, deveined, and dried thoroughly
- 100 g ground chicken, preferably thigh meat
- 40 g bamboo shoots, finely minced
- 15 ml light soy sauce
- 15 ml shaoxing wine
- 10 ml sesame oil
- 5 g white sugar
- 3 g salt
- 1 g white pepper
- 10 g cornstarch
Wrapper Dough
- 100 g wheat starch
- 50 g tapioca starch
- 150 ml boiling water, at a rolling boil
- 10 ml vegetable oil, neutral oil like canola or peanut
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
Roughly chop half of the shrimp into small, distinct chunks, and finely mince the remaining half until it forms a sticky paste.
Combine the chopped shrimp, shrimp paste, ground chicken, bamboo shoots, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sesame oil, sugar, salt, white pepper, and cornstarch in a mixing bowl.
Stir the filling mixture rapidly and continuously in one direction until it becomes very sticky, springy, and thoroughly bound together.
Cover the bowl tightly and refrigerate the filling to allow the flavors to meld and the mixture to firm up.
In a heatproof bowl, whisk together the wheat starch and tapioca starch until evenly combined.
Pour the rapidly boiling water directly over the starches, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon immediately to hydrate the flours evenly.
Once the dough is cool enough to handle, add the vegetable oil and knead it by hand on a clean surface until smooth, white, and pliable.
Cover the kneaded dough with a damp towel and allow it to rest. Keep it covered at all times when not actively shaping.
Roll the dough into a long cylinder and divide it into 24 equal pieces. Keep them under the damp towel.
Take one piece of dough and press it flat using the lightly oiled side of a cleaver or flat scraper against the work surface, creating a thin circle about 8 centimeters in diameter.
Place approximately 15 grams of the chilled filling into the center of the dough wrapper.
Fold the dough into a half-moon shape, pleating the front edge while pressing it against the flat back edge to seal the dumpling completely.
Line a bamboo steamer with perforated parchment paper to prevent sticking, and arrange the dumplings inside with space between each.
Steam the dumplings over rapidly boiling water until the wrappers become beautifully translucent and the internal temperature of the filling reaches 74 degrees Celsius (165 degrees Fahrenheit).
Remove the steamer from the heat and serve immediately while the wrappers are soft and pliable.
Chef's Notes
- Drying the shrimp thoroughly before chopping is critical. Any excess moisture will dilute the marinade and ruin the bouncy, crisp texture characteristic of excellent dim sum.
- Wheat starch is entirely different from wheat flour. It has had the gluten removed and is responsible for the distinct crystalline translucency of har gow wrappers.
- When pleating har gow, a traditional standard of excellence dictates having at least nine to thirteen delicate pleats. Take your time, and do not overfill if you are a beginner.
- Use the flat blade of a heavy cleaver to press the dough rather than a rolling pin. The pressure creates a thinner, more consistent wrapper edge while leaving a slightly thicker center to support the filling.
Storage
Refrigerator: 1 day — Store uncooked dumplings in an airtight container lined with parchment paper.
Freezer: 1 month — Freeze uncooked on a tray, then transfer to a sealed container. Steam directly from frozen, adding 2 to 3 minutes to the cooking time.
Reheating: Steam refrigerated dumplings for 3 to 4 minutes until heated through.
