Seafood Shumai Recipes

SHRIMP SHUMAI

Steps:

• To make the soy-mustard sauce, combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. Set aside.
• To make the filling, cut the shrimp into bite-size pieces, then roughly chop until the shrimp become almost paste-like but with some small pieces visible. You can also use a food processor, which will give it a smooth texture, but I prefer the more coarse texture you get from chopping by hand. Transfer the shrimp to a bowl and mix with a spatula until the shrimp become very sticky.
• Add the scallions, water chestnuts, and mushrooms to the shrimp and mix well. Then add the following ingredients, mixing well between each addition: lard, sake, ginger juice, sesame oil, and egg white. Finally, mix in the salt, pepper, and potato starch.
• Meanwhile, place the baby bok choy in a bowl and cover with cold water; let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes.
• To assemble the shumai, lay a wonton skin on the counter (cover the remaining skins with a damp towel to keep them from drying out). Place 1 tablespoon of the filling in the center of the wonton skin. (Soak the spoon in water while you're assembling a shumai. This will make it easier to transfer the filling to the wonton.) Hold the wonton skin with the filling with your fingers and gently press the skin to form a small cup. Set the shumai on a cutting board and turn it clockwise while carefully pressing the sides together, creating a tighter cup. Wet a finger with water and use it to gently smooth the top of the shumai. Repeat with the remaining wonton skins and filling.
• To cook the shumai, heat a stove-top steamer over high heat, bringing the water to a boil. Brush the bottom of the steamer basket with a small layer of the vegetable oil and add the shumai, leaving 1 inch of space between each. Cover and cook for 3 minutes, then drain the bok choy and add to the steamer. Cover and cook for 3 minutes longer, or until the shumai are cooked through.
• Remove the bok choy from the steamer and gently squeeze inside a towel to remove excess moisture. Top with a pinch of salt. Place each bok choy in the center of 4 small plates and arrange 6 shumai around it. Garnish the plates with a pinch of black sesame seeds and serve with the soy-mustard sauce on the side.

SIRLOIN CHEDDAR AND SHRIMP SHUMAI

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Line a bamboo steamer with parchment paper and place it in a pot filled with 2 inches of water. Set aside.
• To make the filling, in a large bowl, combine the beef, shrimp, Cheddar, shallot, scallion, vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce, cornstarch, garlic powder, ginger and pepper and mix with your hands until evenly combined. Set aside.
• In a small bowl, beat the egg with 2 tablespoons of water until combined. Set aside.
• To assemble the shumai, gently roll 2 tablespoons of filling into a ball, just as you would a meatball. Transfer the ball to the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining filling, leaving about 1 inch between balls.
• Use your finger to wet the middle of a wrapper with some beaten egg. Place the wrapper over a meatball and gently press into the meatball; invert the wrapper to partially enclose the filling. Pinch the wrapper gently to secure it around the filling. Transfer the shumai to a piece of parchment paper and repeat with remaining wrappers and meatballs.
• Bring the water in the pot fitted with the bamboo steamer to a simmer. Place the shumai in the basket, leaving about 1/2 inch between each (work in batches if necessary). Steam until cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes.
• For the dipping sauce: Whisk together the sriracha and soy sauce in a small bowl. Serve with the steamed shumai.