Equipment
Ingredients
Seafood Filling
- 250 g raw prawns, peeled, deveined, and roughly chopped
- 150 g cooked crab meat, picked over for shells
- 10 g fresh ginger, finely minced
- 5 g garlic, finely minced
- 15 ml light soy sauce
- 10 ml toasted sesame oil
- 8 g cornstarch
- 4 g granulated sugar
- 1 g white pepper
Assembly
- 24 round dumpling wrappers
- 3 napa cabbage leaves, whole
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
Place the chopped raw prawns, picked crab meat, minced ginger, minced garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, cornstarch, sugar, and white pepper into a mixing bowl. Stir vigorously in one direction until the mixture becomes pasty and sticky.
Cover the mixing bowl and place it in the refrigerator. Allowing the filling to rest chills the fats and proteins, making it firmer and easier to wrap.
Hold a dumpling wrapper in your hand. Spoon about 15g of the chilled filling into the center. Lightly moisten the edges of the wrapper with water, fold it in half, and tightly pleat the edges to seal the filling completely.
Line the bamboo steamer with napa cabbage leaves or perforated parchment paper. Fill a wok or wide pot with a few centimeters of water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat.
Arrange the dumplings in the steamer, leaving at least 2cm of space between each. Place the steamer over the boiling water, cover, and steam until the wrappers are somewhat translucent and the seafood filling reaches a safe internal temperature of 74°C/165°F.
Chef's Notes
- To achieve the quintessential bouncy prawn texture prized in high-end dim sum, briefly toss the raw, peeled prawns in half a teaspoon of baking soda and let sit for 10 minutes before rinsing thoroughly and chopping.
- Stirring the filling in only one direction is a traditional Chinese technique that aligns the meat proteins, resulting in a cohesive, springy texture rather than a crumbly one.
- If your dumpling wrappers dry out while you are assembling, keep them covered with a slightly damp kitchen towel to maintain their pliability.
- A small amount of finely diced water chestnut or bamboo shoot (about 30g) can be added to the filling for a pleasant, contrasting crunch.
Storage
Refrigerator: 2 days — Store cooked dumplings in an airtight container.
Freezer: 1 month — Freeze uncooked dumplings in a single layer before transferring to a freezer bag.
Reheating: Steam directly from frozen for 8-10 minutes, or microwave cooked dumplings with a damp paper towel.
