Vietnamese Shrimp Dumplings Recipes

SHRIMP AND PORK SHU MAI DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• For the filling: In the bowl of a food processor, add the shrimp, ground pork, sesame oil, soy sauce, cornstarch, ginger, garlic, green onions, egg whites, lemon juice and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pulse the ingredients until smooth, 3 to 5 times. It should be somewhat chunky, not totally pureed. Put the filling into a bowl and fold in the water chestnuts.
• To determine if the filling is seasoned well, make a small patty, about 2 tablespoons. Place a small saute pan over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon canola oil. Once heated, add the tester patty and cook on both sides until browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the pan and place onto a paper-towel-lined plate and taste. Adjust seasoning to the remaining filling if needed.
• Prepare the dumplings according to desired assembly. Serve with Sesame-Soy Dipping Sauce.
• Line each tray of your bamboo steamer with cabbage leaves and cover with the lid. Bring 1 to 2 inches of water to a boil in a large, wide pan. Set the bamboo steamer over the pot. Continue to add water as needed.
• Place a wonton wrapper on a clean surface and add about 2 teaspoons of the filling in the center of the wrapper. Brush the edges of the wrapper with water. Fold and pleat as you gather the wrapping around the filling, leaving the top of the filling uncovered. Gently tap the shu mai on your work surface, flattening the bottom and allowing it to stand upright and make a basket shape.
• Put the shu mai in the cabbage-lined steamers and cover with the lid. Steam the dumplings until cooked through, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Place a wonton wrapper on a clean surface and add about 2 teaspoons of the filling in the center of the wrapper. Brush the edges of the wrapper with water. Take one edge of the wonton wrapper and fold it to the other side, creating a half moon shape. Then starting at one end of your half moon, make gentle folds, pleating and pressing the top side of the wrapper onto the bottom side as you work around the half moon.
• Have about 1/2 cup water, a large skillet and a lid for the skillet handy. Heat the skillet with 1 to 2 tablespoons of canola oil over high heat. Once the skillet is hot, place the number of dumplings you want to cook smooth-side down in the skillet. Allow them to sear until the bottoms turn golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the water, immediately cover with the lid and let the dumplings steam for another 3 to 4 minutes.
• Line each tray of your bamboo steamer with cabbage leaves and cover with the lid. Bring 1 to 2 inches of water to a boil in a large, wide pan. Set the bamboo steamer over the pot. Continue to add water as needed.
• Place a wonton wrapper on a clean surface and add about 2 teaspoons of the filling in the center of the wrapper. Brush the edges of the wrapper with water. Take one edge of the wonton wrapper and fold it to the other side, creating a half moon shape. Then take the 2 ends of the half moon and fold them into each other, pressing the ends together to secure the shape, creating the wonton.
• Put the wontons in the cabbage-lined steamers and cover with the lid. Steam the dumplings until cooked through, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Whisk together the soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, ginger, oil, honey and green onions, and set aside until ready to serve.

EASY CRISPY VIETNAMESE SHRIMP BALLS

Steps:

• Rinse shrimp well under cold water and pat dry with a paper towel. Coarsely chop shrimp into medium pieces and place in the bowl of a food processor.
• Add 1 beaten egg, shallot, sesame oil, cornstarch, brown sugar, fish sauce, garlic, salt, and pepper to the shrimp in the food processor. Blend until a smooth paste is created. Transfer shrimp paste to a bowl and refrigerate until slightly hardened, about 30 minutes.
• Remove paste from refrigerator. Use an ice cream scoop, a tablespoon, or your hands to form shrimp paste into balls.
• Place a steamer insert into a saucepan and fill with water to just below the bottom of the steamer. Bring water to a boil. Add shrimp balls, cover, and steam until they become opaque, about 5 minutes. Transfer steamed shrimp balls to a plate and allow to cool to room temperature, about 5 minutes.
• Place bread crumbs in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Place 2 beaten eggs in a separate bowl. Roll steamed shrimp balls in bread crumbs, then in beaten eggs, then again in bread crumbs and then place on a plate.
• Heat oil in a small pan over medium heat. Cook shrimp balls until golden brown on all sides, about 5 minutes.

VIETNAMESE SHRIMP DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a small nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped white scallions and garlic and cook until soft, about 4 minutes.
• Set aside 40 of the green scallion slices. Place the scallion and garlic mixture with all ingredients except the flour and egg white in the work bowl of a food processor. Process until mixture forms a paste. Add the flour and egg. Process until combined.
• Form the mixture into balls, using a rounded tablespoon for each. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Reduce to a simmer. Add the dumplings, in batches if necessary. Cook until the dumplings rise to the top, about 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon.
• As soon as the dumplings are cooked, place a scallion slice on top. Secure with a toothpick.

VIETNAMESE TAPIOCA WATER DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• To make the scallion oil, heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot enough to sizzle a scallion ring upon contact, add the scallions and stir immediately to evenly cook. When the scallions have collapsed and are soft, about 30 seconds, transfer to a small heatproof bowl, and set aside to cool completely.
• To make the filling, add the oil to the hot skillet. Add the shallot and cook, stirring constantly, for about 45 seconds, or until fragrant and beginning to brown. Add the pork, stirring and mashing it into small pieces, and cook for about 1 minute, or until it is no longer pink. Add the shrimp, salt, sugar, pepper, and fish sauce. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 4 minutes, or until the flavors have concentrated, there is little liquid left , and the mixture is lightly sizzling. Transfer to a bowl and set aside to cool completely. You should have about 1 cup. (The scallion oil and filling can be prepared up to 2 days in advance and brought to room temperature before using.)
• To make the sauce, combine the sugar, fish sauce, vinegar, and shrimp shell stock in a small bowl. Stir to dissolve the sugar, taste, and make any flavor adjustments. Add the chiles and set aside until serving time.
• To make the dough, combine the tapioca starch, wheat starch, and salt. Make a well in the center and pour in the water. Stir until the water has been absorbed and the mixture is lumpy. Add the 2 tablespoons oil and work it in before pressing the ingredients together into a rough ball. Knead for 1 to 2 minutes on an unfloured work surface, until the dough is snowy white, smooth, and very malleable. Cut into 4 pieces and put in a zip-top plastic bag and seal well. Set aside for 5 minutes to rest before using. This dough can be prepared up to 6 hours in advance and kept at room temperature in the bag.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Working with 1 piece of dough at a time to form the wrappers, roll it on an unfloured work surface into an 8-inch log. (If the dough cracks when rolled, a sign of dryness, very lightly oil your hands and knead it into the dough.) Cut the log into 8 pieces. Follow the instructions on "Forming Wrappers from Wheat Starch Dough" (page 133) to shape thick circles that are about 2 3/4 inches in diameter.
• Once a batch of wrappers is finished, assemble some dumplings. For each dumpling, hold a wrapper in a slightly cupped hand. Position about 1 1/2 teaspoons of filling slightly off-center toward the upper half of the wrapper, gently pressing down to compact and keeping about 1/2 to 3/4 inch of wrapper clear on all sides. Bring up the edge and seal to make a half-moon (see page 26 for details on this shape). Seal well by pressing the rim to meld the edges into one. Set the finished dumpling on the prepared baking sheet. Make more dumplings from the remaining wrappers, set them on the baking sheet spaced apart slightly, and cover them with plastic wrap to prevent drying. Continue making wrappers and assembling dumplings. The dumplings can sit for about 1 hour before cooking but cannot be refrigerated.
• To cook, fill a large pot two-thirds full with water and bring to a boil. Add the dumplings in batches of 8 to 12; they should float right up to the surface. After the water returns to a boil (cover the pot if it is a slow go), adjust the heat to gently boil the dumplings for 6 minutes, flipping them midway. They are done when glossy and the rims look mostly clear. Meanwhile, partially fill a bowl with warm water and set near the stove. Spread about one-third of the scallion oil garnish on 2 serving plates and set nearby. Use a slotted spoon to scoop up the cooked dumplings, pausing at the top to allow excess water to fall back into the pot. Deposit them in the water bowl and let them sit in the water for about 30 seconds; this removes excess starch. Transfer them to the serving plates. Cover with an aluminum foil tent or inverted bowl while you cook the remaining dumplings.
• These dumplings are best warm, but are fine at room temperature. Top them with the remaining scallion oil, then present with the sauce. Enjoy with a spoon and fork or chopsticks.