Chinese Steamed Soup Dumplings Xiao Long Bao Recipes

XIAO LONG BAO-CHINESE SOUP DUMPLING

Steps:

• Make the pork jelly in the previous day with this instruction.
• In a small bowl, soak minced ginger, green onion and Sichuan peppercorn with 1/2 cup hot water for around 10 minutes to make ginger and green onion water.
• Blend the pork jelly for a while. Then add pork chunks in a blender, add salt, sugar, pepper, light soys sauce and oyster sauce. Blend with pause for 10 seconds. Then add the ginger and green onion water in. Continue blending with pause for another minute. Add the pork jelly, chopped green onion and sesame oil in. Stir in one direction for 1 or 2 minutes. Cover and place in fridge.
• Add pinch of salt in flour. Add flour and water in a mixing bowl and then knead the dough until smooth and stretchy (this process may need 15 to 20 minutes depending on your kneading skill. You can also use a mixer to do this job.) Cover with a wet cloth and reset for 1 hour.
• Shape the dough into a long log and cut into small pieces (around 12g each one). Then roll the wrapper out to form a large wrapper (around 12 cm in diameter). The wrapper should be quite thin.
• Place the wrapper in your left hand. Place 1 tablespoon of the filling in the center of your wrapper. Fix the starting point with the thumb of right hand and begin to fold the edge counterclockwise. Move the thumb slowly in the process. Repeat the process until the dumpling is completely sealed. Then slightly pull up the sealed peaks and then remove the extra flour(so we can get even and thin wrapper).
• Place the assembled dumpling on lined steamer. Set up the steamer and steam for around 8 to 10 minutes after the water is boiling.
• Serve directly or with Chinese black vinegar and ginger shreds.

HOMEMADE SOUP DUMPLINGS (XIAO LONG BAO)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
• Prepare a medium-sized (about 4 qt) dutch oven with a lid or a roasting pan that can be securely sealed with a lid or foil. Add the oil to the pan and place it in the oven to heat up, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Once heated, carefully transfer the pan onto a trivet. Place the chicken back in the pan and spread the ginger and green onions on top of it. Add 1/4 cup water. Cover with the lid and return to the oven. Roast until you've collected a good amount of chicken broth in the bottom of the pot, 50 minutes or so.
• Remove the pan from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Use a pair of tongs to remove and discard the chicken backs.
• Lay a mesh strainer over a heat-proof bowl. Strain the chicken broth. Once cooled completely, transfer the chicken broth into a sealed container and refrigerate overnight.
• Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Slowly drizzle the hot water over the flour while stirring with a pair of chopsticks (or a fork). Mix until the hot water is fully absorbed.
• Then slowly drizzle 25 g of cold water over the dry flour while mixing. Once the water is fully absorbed and the flour turns into dough flakes, start pressing with your hand to gather the dough together while mixing in as much dry flour as you can. If the dough is almost formed but there's still dry flour left in the bowl, add the remaining 5 g water and keep kneading. Once done, it should form a semi-soft dough and no flour is left in the bowl.
• Transfer the dough onto a clean working surface and knead for 15 to 20 minutes, until the surface is smooth and the texture elastic. The dough should feel soft to the touch and not stick to your hands.
• Wrap the dough with plastic wrap and let it rest for 45 minutes.
• Storage: You can store the dough at this point if you decide to assemble the dumpling later. The dough can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge overnight.
• Add the grated ginger into a small bowl and pour in 1/4 cup hot water. Let sit while preparing other ingredients.
• The chicken broth you made the day before should have become congealed with a layer of fat on top. Scrape off the fat and reserve it in a small bowl.
• Slice the chicken gelatin into thin strips, then further into small cubes. Coarsely mince it into bits.
• Measure the chopped gelatin. If it's less than 4.4 oz (120 g), add a few spoonfuls of the chicken fat until it reaches 4.4 oz (120 g). You can discard or reserve the remaining chicken fat for future use. Store the gelatin in the fridge while not using.
• Add the ground pork into a medium-sized bowl. Add the ginger water, light soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, salt, sugar and white pepper. Beat with a spatula until the liquid is fully absorbed and the filling becomes sticky and bouncy, 5 minutes or so.
• Add the chopped chicken jelly and green onions. Mix until incorporated.
• Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and store in the fridge until ready to use. The filling can be stored in the fridge for a couple of hours, but I do not recommend storing it for too much longer, because the liquid will start to seep out.
• Line a steamer rack with napa cabbage leaves or prepare some square parchment paper for steaming the dumplings.
• Place the rested dough onto a clean working surface. Roll it into a long log, about 1" (2.5 cm) in diameter. Cut the log in half, wrap one half with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge while working on the other half.
• Roll out the log a bit more. Divide it into two equal pieces, then further cut them into 10 pieces in total. Cover them with a few layers of wet paper towels to prevent drying out.
• Work on the buns one at a time. Shape one piece of dough with your fingers so it is a round piece, then flatten it with your palm. Use a small rolling pin to roll out the wrapper, spinning the dough after rolling a few times. Roll until the wrapper is very thin, about 4 1/2" (11 cm) in diameter. (*Footnote 3)
• Place 22 g (about 1 tablespoon) of the filling onto the center of the wrapper. Fold and pinch the edges of the wrapper to create pleats (see the wrapping process in action in my cooking video). When you are about to seal the pleats, leave a small opening on the top of the dumplings (very important - *Footnote 4).
• Place the wrapped dumplings onto the napa cabbage or parchment paper. Cover loosely with a few layers of wet paper towels to prevent drying out. Work on the rest of the dumplings until you can fill the steamer rack - you should leave at least 2" (5 cm) between the dumplings.
• Prepare the dipping sauce by adding 1 tablespoon of Chinese vinegar and a few strips of ginger to each small sauce plate.
• Bring a pot of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover the steamer rack with a lid and place it over the boiling water. Steam over medium-high heat for 8 to 10 minutes, depending on the number of dumplings you cook at a time.
• Once done cooking, serve immediately with the dipping sauce.
• To eat the soup dumplings, hold a pair of chopsticks in one hand and a big spoon in the other. Carefully use the chopsticks to pick up the soup dumpling and place it into the spoon. If you're skillful with chopsticks, you can also dip the dumpling into the dipping sauce. Otherwise, drizzle a tiny amount of sauce over the dumpling. Have a small bite of the dumplings to let the steam out and allow the soup to pool in the spoon. If you don't mind hot food (it's very hot!), you can also let the soup stay in the dumpling and eat it all in one bite (I do not recommend this method if you're not familiar with soup dumplings).

SOUP DUMPLINGS (XIAO LONG BAO) RECIPE

Steps:

• Combine chicken bones, ham, scallion whites, half of scallion greens, ginger, and white peppercorns in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce to a simmer, and simmer for 2 1/2 hours. Strain broth, season to taste with salt, cover, and refrigerate until set into a semi-firm jelly, at least 8 hours.
• Meanwhile, place flour in the bowl of a food processor. With machine running, slowly drizzle in water until a cohesive dough is formed (you probably won't need all the water). Allow dough to ride around processor for 30 seconds. Form into a ball using floured hands and transfer to a bowl. Cover with a damp towel and let rest for at least 30 minutes.

CHINESE STEAMED SOUP DUMPLINGS (XIAO LONG BAO)

Steps:

• In a pot, add cold water and Pork Rind (0.25 pound) to cook for around 5 minutes after boiling until the pork skin becomes slightly transparent. Transfer the pork rind out and rinse in running water. Remove impurities and fat layer. Cut the pork rind into small strips.
• In a high pressure cooker or pot, add enough water to cover the pork rinds. Add Fresh Ginger (4 slice) and several Scallion (3) sections. Cook for at least 40 minutes for high pressure cooker and at least one and half hour for ordinary cooker. Leave the soup to cool down.
• Use food processor to blend for seconds. And then filter the soup once. Pour into an airtight container and refrigerate overnight.
• In a small bowl, soak Fresh Ginger (1 tablespoon) and Scallion (1 tablespoon) with 1/2 cup of hot water for around 10 minutes.
• In a large mixing bowl, mix the ginger and green onion water with the Ground Pork (1 pound) by three batches. Use your hand to stir in one direction until the water is completely absorbed by the minced pork.
• Then add Oyster Sauce (1 tablespoon), Light Soy Sauce (2 tablespoon), Salt (2 teaspoon), Sesame Oil (1 tablespoon), and Granulated Sugar (1 teaspoon). Mix well and set aside for 10 minutes for better absorption.
• Mince the pork jelly and mix with the ground pork filling.
• Add All-Purpose Flour (2 cup) and Water (150 milliliter) in a mixing bowl and then knead the dough until smooth and stretchy. This may need 15 to 20 minutes depending on your kneading skill. You can also use a mixer.
• Cover with a wet cloth and reset for 20 minutes.
• Dust your board and re-knead the dough for around 5 minutes and then further roll into a long log. Cut the log into small sections of similar weight. Press the sections and roll out to a round wrapper. During the process, do remember to cover everything under a wet cloth to avoid drying out.
• Prepare your bamboo steamer; cover the steamer with cloth, zongzi leaves, or brushing some oil on the surface so that the dumplings will not be sticky to the steamer.
• Assemble the soup dumplings one by one by putting a small amount of filling in the center of a wrapper and pinching the sides together.
• Twist the folds to the center.
• Remember to seal the hole in the top at the very last step.
• Place the dumpling on the steamer. Remember to leave some spaces between each other. Set up the steamer and steam for around 8 to 10 minutes after the water is boiling.
• Serve directly or with Chinese black vinegar. Enjoy!

XIAO LONG BAO RECIPE (SOUP DUMPLINGS)

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Bruise the scallion stalk by pounding it with the flat side of your knife.
• In a small pot over medium-high heat, bring 1 cup of low-sodium chicken broth, dried shiitake mushroom, ginger slice, and scallion to a simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes, submerging the mushroom occasionally.
• Mix 3 packets of plain gelatin with the remaining 3/4 cup chicken stock in a heat-safe bowl.
• Remove solids from simmering broth and pour it into the bloomed gelatin, whisking to incorporate thoroughly. Pour into a sheet tray and refrigerate until set, about 45 minutes. While setting, prepare the dough and mince.
• Gather the ingredients.
• Heat 1/2 cup of water to 195 F in a small saucepan. If you don't have a thermometer, it should be steaming and on the verge of simmering with small bubbles rising to the top.
• Meanwhile, place the 3 1/2 cups of flour and salt in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine. Add the 1/2 cup of 195 F water and stir with a wooden spoon.
• Once the initial portion of water has been absorbed, add the room temperature water. Knead until all the flour has been incorporated. If the dough is too dry, add more water, 1 teaspoon at a time.
• Add oil and knead again until a smooth dough ball has formed, 3 to 5 minutes. The dough should be soft but not sticky.
• Cover bowl of dough with plastic wrap and rest for 30 minutes.
• Gather the ingredients.
• While the dough is resting, prepare the mince. Place the meat in a large bowl and add the scallion, garlic, ginger, Shaoxing wine, sesame oil, and dark soy sauce. Mix until uniformly combined.
• Add the salt, sugar, and white pepper, and mix vigorously, kneading and crushing the mince through your fingers.
• Your mince will be ready when the texture is paste-like, and it leaves a film on the walls of the bowl. Set aside and retrieve the aspic.
• Take your jellied aspic and cut it into about 4 sections. Julienne the sections , and then brunoise the julienne to achieve small cubes. A rough chop followed by a mince is acceptable as well.
• Add your aspic to the mince in 3 to 4 portions, mixing to incorporate. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until dough is ready for use.
• Using a bench scraper or knife, divide the dough ball into 4 even pieces. Take one quarter section (cover the remaining sections with a kitchen towel), and using both hands, grasp it by its midsection. Gently massage it with an outward motion to elongate the section into a cylinder.
• Place the cylinder of dough on your work surface. Starting from the midsection and working your way outwards, roll the cylinder into a uniform, 1-inch-diameter rope.
• Prepare your dumpling skin by cutting 3/4-inch portions off of the rope using your first piece as a guide for the remaining ones. Each piece should weigh about 15 grams.
• Flatten each piece by applying firm pressure with the palm of your hand.
• Use your rolling pin to roll each piece into a 3 1/2-inch diameter disc, aiming for a thinner edge and thicker center. Lightly dust the work surface with flour if the dough starts to stick. Proceed to fill and fold the dumpling skins as described below and then repeat cutting/rolling out the dumpling skins and filling/folding them, one section of dough at a time.
• Place a dumpling skin in the palm of your hand and add a tablespoon of the filling into the skin. Depress the filling into the skin with your spoon, cupping your hand so that the filling is married to the dumpling skin. Repeat with remaining dumpling skins.
• To form the Xiao Long Bao, place your prepared dumpling skin in the palm of your left hand. With your right thumb and middle finger, grasp the edge of the dumpling skin at about 2 o'clock (if it were a clock).
• With your left thumb gently depressing the filling, twist your left wrist in a clockwise motion. This will create a pleat for your right hand to seal. Continue pleating all the way around the top of the dumpling.
• As you reach the end of the pleating, you can release the grasp of your left thumb, while continuing to twist and seal the pleats with your right hand. It won't be pretty at first, but as you practice the concept described above, it will become natural.
• Don't worry about the look-the important part is the seal, so just be sure to pinch any gaps shut. At this point, you can freeze your dumplings on a parchment-lined sheet tray if not cooking right away.
• Bring your steamer to a full boil. Place dumplings in your steamer basket. To prevent your dumplings from sticking to your steamer, cut a piece of parchment paper to size and perforate with a fork. You can also use a leaf of napa cabbage, or a light coating of oil.
• Cook for 6 minutes at a full steam (8 minutes if steaming from frozen). Rest for 2 minutes before consuming. Serve steamed Xiao Long Bao with a dipping sauce of Chinkiang vinegar (Chinese black vinegar) and a pinch of raw ginger julienne.