Pork and prawn dumplings recipe
"Pork (siu mai) is another dim sum classic ordered with prawn (shrimp) dim sum (haa gaau). The wonton wrapper, shaped like a tiny cup, is stuffed with pork, prawn and mushrooms and steamed perfectly to give you a delightful taste explosion in just one mouthful," says BBC's Best Home Cook's 2020 winner Suzie Lee. "Traditionally siu mai is topped with fish roe, but for this recipe I've used grated carrot instead."
Tip: These delicious dumplings can be frozen (you will need to add about 5 minutes’ extra steaming time if cooking from frozen), so make a double batch and pop them in the freezer to enjoy whenever you have a craving.
Ingredients
For the pork and prawn filling:- 2 tsp light soy sauce
- 125 g king prawns, finely chopped
- 250 g minced (ground) pork, at least 15% fat
- 30 g shiitake mushrooms, finely diced (use 10g / 1/2oz of dried shiitake mushrooms soaked according to the packet instructions if you can’t find fresh)
- 2 tsp white part of a spring onion (scallion), finely diced
- 2 tsp fresh ginger root, finely grated, or 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 0.5 tsp salt
- 0.2 tsp sugar
- 1 pinch pepper
- 2 tsp Shaoxing wine
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 2 tsp oyster sauce
- 1.5 tsp cornflour (cornstarch)
- 24 wonton wrappers (from your local Asian supermarket)
- 1 carrot, peeled and grated
Details
- Cuisine: Chinese
- Recipe Type: Dumplings
- Difficulty: Easy
- Preparation Time: 10 mins
- Cooking Time: 20 mins
- Serves: 24
Step-by-step
- Put all the pork and prawn filling ingredients in a bowl and mix until well combined. If you wish, you can roughly chop the prawns, mushrooms and spring onions and then pulse everything in a food processor until combined.
- Cover and place in the fridge until needed.
- Set up a steamer, half-fill the pan with water and bring to the boil over a high heat. Leave off the top steamer section (the bit with holes).
- With one hand turned so your thumb and index finger are horizontal, touch the thumb and index together, then gently ease a wonton wrapper into the circular gap you have created so it acts like a tiny net.
- Using a teaspoon, pack with filling until it reaches the top. Some pointed ends of the wrapper will stick out – you can leave these or stick them to the side of the siu mai with a little water.
- Add a pinch of grated carrot on top of each one.
- Line the perforated section of the steamer with a disc of baking parchment pierced with holes and place the siu mai in the top part of the steamer, spreading them out evenly (you’ll probably need to steam them in batches).
- Cover and steam for 8-10 minutes until cooked through. Eat immediately.
Extracted from Simply Chinese: Recipes from a Chinese Home Kitchen by Suzie Lee (Hardie Grant, £20). Photography by Lizzie Mayson.
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