Wonton Siu Mai And Cantonese Spring Roll Skins Recipes

SIU MAI

Steps:

• Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the mushrooms, turn off the heat, cover and soak until rehydrated, about 30 minutes.
• Drain the mushrooms and remove and discard the stems. Finely dice the mushrooms; set aside.
• Whisk 4 cups of cold water and 1 tablespoon of the baking soda in a large bowl until the baking soda is dissolved. Lightly massage the shrimp in the baking soda water and let soak for 30 minutes.
• Drain the shrimp, rinse under cold running water, drain again and pat dry with paper towels. Roughly chop the shrimp into 1/2-inch pieces; set aside.
• Coarsely chop the pork belly into approximately 1/2-inch pieces (they don't have to be perfect). Continue to chop until it resembles coarsely ground pork (but don't chop it so finely that it becomes smooth). Transfer the pork to a large bowl and fill with enough cold water to cover. Let soak until the water turns pink, about 5 minutes. Drain the water and repeat the soaking process once more until the pork is a bit opaque. Drain and pat dry with paper towels. Reserve the bowl.
• Transfer the pork back to the bowl, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon cold water and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon baking soda and mix until the baking soda is absorbed. Mix in the reserved shrimp until combined. Add 1 tablespoon salt to the pork and shrimp filling and mix in one direction until the mixture is sticky and leaves streaks along the sides of the bowl, about 3 minutes. Gather the filling in one hand, lift it up and away from the bowl and throw it back into the bowl. Repeat 9 additional times to help bring the filling together and produce the desired texture.
• Add the sugar, chicken powder, soy sauce and white pepper to the filling and stir until combined. Add the reserved mushrooms and lard and mix until combined. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Cover the wonton wrappers with a damp paper towel to prevent them from drying out. Using your nondominant hand, put your index finger and thumb together to form a circle and place 1 wonton wrapper on top of the circle. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of the filling into the center of the wrapper and use the spoon to pack in the filling while gently squeezing on the sides to form the wrapper around the filling. Add a little more filling if it doesn't reach the top of the dumpling (see Cook's Note). Place the siu mai on a parchment-lined plate or tray. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling.
• If desired, top each siu mai with a pea-size scoop of flying fish roe or minced carrot (a little less than 1/8 teaspoon) or 1 frozen pea.
• Fill a 12-inch skillet or wok with about 2 inches of water and place a 10-inch bamboo or metal steamer basket in the skillet. Make sure the water doesn't touch the bottom of the insert. If it does, remove some of it. Bring the water to a rolling boil, line the steamer basket with a perforated parchment circle and place 10 siu mai on the parchment, leaving an inch between each. Cover and steam until the filling is opaque and the wrapper is translucent, about 10 minutes. Enjoy while hot. Continue with the remaining siu mai.

SIU MAI OPEN-FACED DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• To make the filling, in a bowl, combine the pork, mushrooms, water chestnuts, and scallions. Use a fork or spatula to stir and lightly mash the ingredients together so they begin to blend.
• Put the salt, sugar, white pepper, cornstarch, soy sauce, rice wine, sesame oil, and egg white into a small bowl and stir to combine well. Pour over the meat mixture, and stir, fold, and mash everything together until they cohere into a compact mass. Cover the filling with plastic wrap and set aside for 30 minutes, or refrigerate overnight, returning it to room temperature before assembling the dumplings. You should have a generous 2 cups of filling.
• Before assembling the dumplings, line steamer trays and/or a baking sheet with parchment paper. For the baking sheet, lightly dust the paper with cornstarch to prevent sticking. Set aside. Hold a skin in one hand. Scoop up about 1 tablespoon of filling with a bamboo dumpling spatula, dinner knife, or fork and position it in the center of the skin, pressing down gently. Pick up the skin and gather and pinch it together to form an open bag (see page 74). Crown the dumpling with some finely diced carrot or a pea. If steaming right away, place each finished dumpling in a steamer tray open side up, spacing them 1/2 inch apart, and 1 inch away from the edge if you are using a metal steamer. Otherwise, place the waiting dumplings on the baking sheet a good 1/2 inch apart. Keeping the finished dumplings covered with a dry kitchen towel to prevent drying, form and fill wrappers from the remaining dough. Dumplings made several hours in advance of cooking should be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated. For longer storage, freeze them on their baking sheet until hard (about 1 hour), transfer them to a plastic container, and keep them frozen for up to 1 month; partially thaw them before steaming.
• To cook, steam the dumplings over boiling water (steaming guidelines are on page 17) for 6 to 8 minutes, until the dumplings have puffed slightly and their skins have become translucent. Remove each tray and place it a top a serving plate.
• Serve immediately with the soy sauce and hot mustard. Invite guests to mix up their own dipping sauce.

CANTONESE CHAR SIU PORK AND VEGETABLE SPRING ROLLS

Steps:

• To make the filling, combine the sugar, salt, white pepper, soy sauce, oyster sauce, and water in a small bowl. Stir this flavoring sauce well and set aside.
• Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the scallions and cook, stirring, for about 30 seconds until soft and aromatic. Add the cabbage, celery, and carrot, stirring to combine well. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 1 minute, until the vegetables have collapsed slightly. Add the flavoring sauce, stirring to combine, and continue cooking for about 2 minutes, until most of the liquid has disappeared and the vegetables have just cooked through. Add the pork and continue cooking, stirring to combine the flavors and heat through, about 1 minute. Give the cornstarch a final stir, and pour over the filling mixture. Cook for about 30 seconds, to bind the mixture nicely. Transfer to a platter and spread out. Set aside to cool completely before using. You should have about 3 cups. (The filling can be prepared 2 days in advance, covered, and refrigerated after cooling. Return to room temperature before wrapping.)
• Before assembling the spring rolls, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly dust with cornstarch. For each spring roll, use about 1/4 cup of filling, placing it slightly below the center of the skin. Follow the directions on page 75 to create the cigar shape, taking care to not wrap too tightly because you want just two layers of skin around the filling. Before rolling up the spring roll all the way to seal it, brush beaten egg on the upper two edges to ensure that the skin seals well. Set the finished rolls, seam side up, on the prepared baking sheet. Cover with a kitchen towel to prevent drying.
• Fry the rolls in two stages. Heat 1 inch of oil in a wok, saucepan, or deep skillet over medium-high heat to about 350°F on a deep-fry thermometer. (If you don't have a deep-fry thermometer, stick a dry bamboo chopstick into the oil; if bubbles rise immediately to the surface and encircle the chopstick, the oil is ready.) Slide in few spring rolls and fry for about 1 1/2 minutes, turning as needed, until light golden. Remove from the oil and drain on paper towels. Repeat with the other rolls. These rolls soft en as they sit, so after their first frying, refry them for 45 to 60 seconds in 350°F oil until crispy and golden brown.
• Serve hot, whole or cut in half diagonally, with the dipping sauce of your choice.