Shiu Mai (Pork and Shrimp Cups)
Classic Cantonese shiu mai (siu mai) filled with pork, shrimp, mushrooms, and water chestnuts. The dumplings have thin wrappers, a generous filling, and a flower-shaped open top.
Ingredients
ground pork
1 pound
dried black mushrooms (rehydrated and finely chopped (½ cup))
6 medium
shrimp (peeled, deveined, and chopped)
8 ounces
water chestnuts (finely chopped)
¹⁄ 3 cup
green onions (finely chopped, white and green parts (4 stalks))
¼ cup
cornstarch
1 tablespoon
sesame oil
1 teaspoon
soy sauce
1 teaspoon
Shaoxing rice wine
1 teaspoon
sugar
1 teaspoon
salt
1 teaspoon
ground white pepper
½ teaspoon
dumpling skins
12-ounce package
Instructions
1
Mix the filling
In a large bowl, combine the pork, mushrooms, shrimp, water chestnuts, green onions, cornstarch, sesame oil, soy sauce, rice wine, sugar, salt, and white pepper.
2
Shape the dumplings
Place the dumpling wrappers on a floured surface and cover with a damp cloth. Form a circle with your thumb and forefinger, place one wrapper on top, and spoon 1 tablespoon of filling into the center. Let the filling drop halfway into the opening, then gently pinch the wrapper to form a cup shape, leaving the top open. Set on the work surface and pleat the edges to form a flower-like shape. Stand the shiu mai upright on an oiled plate, spaced about half an inch apart. Brush the tops with oil.
3
Steam the dumplings
Bring water in a steamer to a boil over medium heat. Place one plate of shiu mai in the steamer and steam over high heat for 15 minutes until the filling is cooked through. Check for doneness, then turn off the heat and let the steam dissipate before opening the lid. Remove and let cool. Repeat with the remaining shiu mai.
4
Serve
Once the shiu mai are cool enough to handle, transfer to a serving plate and serve immediately.
