Good Shao Mai are a delicious treat and make a wonderful appetizer. Then can be made ahead and frozen for up to a month, but are best steamed after being freshly made. The filling here is enough for about 16 shao mai, so you may double or triple the recipe depending on whether you're cooking for dinner with the family or doing a tray of hors d'oevres for a party. You can buy round dumpling wrappers - alternatively, you can use the 3 inch wonton squares and cut them round with a cookie cutter.
INGREDIENTS
6 oz. medium shrimp , raw, peeled, and coarsely chopped
2 oz. ground pork
6 water chestnuts, minced - fresh (and peeled) if possible but canned are acceptable
1½ TSP finely grated fresh ginger
1½ TSP dry sherry or vermouth
1½ TSP cornstarch
2 TSP oyster sauce
1 TSP sesame oil
½ large egg white , lightly beaten
½ teaspoon granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon table salt
Ground black pepper , to taste
2 TBS minced scallions (greens only)
1 package wonton wrappers
PREPARATION
- Mix all filling ingredients in medium bowl and let it sit for 30 minutes to let the flavors mingle. Refrigerate until ready to make dumplings.
- Holding a wonton skin in the cup of your hand, place two rounded teaspoons of filling in the center. Cup your hand with the filling filled wonton in your palm. Gather the side of the wonton wrapper up around the filling, gently folding small pleats around the side, gently pressing into the filling and forming a cup shaped dumpling. This is an open topped dumpling - you don't need to gather the edges together and close at the top.
- If you have a bamboo steamer and a wok, then put three inches of water in the bottom of the walk, place the steamer above it and boil the water in the wok. Cut rounds out of wax paper to fit your steamer and generously poke with holes for the steam to pass through. Alternatively, you could use the traditional Napa cabbage leaves instea of wax paper. Cover the wok and steam until the dumplings are cooked, about five minutes.
If you don't have a wok and a steamer, use a collapsable vegetable steamer basket, liberally annointed with cooking spray so the dumplings won't stick. Fill a dutch oven or stew pos with enough water to come up almost to the bottome of the steamer basket - cover and steam. - Serve, with dipping sauces.
