Steamed Pork-and-Mushroom Shumai Recipe

Steamed Pork-and-Mushroom Shumai

Recipe by Ching-He Huang

Watch the video tutorial on how to prepare this dish.

• Level: Easy
• Yield: Makes 12 to 14 dumplings
• Nutritional Info (per serving, 1 of 13 servings): Calories 146, Total Fat 4g, Saturated Fat 1g, Carbohydrates 21g, Dietary Fiber 1g, Sugar 0g, Protein 6g, Cholesterol 23mg, Sodium 313mg
• Total time: 1 hr 10 min
• Preparation: 1 hr
• Cooking: 10 min

Ingredients

For the filling:

• 1 1/2-inch piece of ginger
• 5 shiitake mushrooms
• 1 scallion, finely chopped
• 1/4 pound ground pork
• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the dumplings:

• 12 to 14 square wonton wrappers
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• Dried goji berries or frozen peas and carrots, for decoration (optional)
• Vegetable oil, for brushing

For the dipping sauce:

• 1 tablespoon Asian chili paste (e.g., sambal oelek)
• 2 tablespoons light soy sauce

Instructions

1. Prepare the filling: Scrape the ginger skin with a spoon and grate enough to make 1 tablespoon. Remove the mushroom stems and finely chop the caps. In a large bowl combine the ginger, chopped mushrooms, scallion, ground pork, soy sauce, rice wine, sesame oil, and cornstarch. Season with salt and pepper and mix thoroughly by hand until evenly blended.
2. Form the dumplings: Keep the wonton wrappers covered with a damp paper towel to stop them drying out. Brush a wrapper lightly with beaten egg. Drape the wrapper over your thumb (forming a small cup) and spoon in about 2 teaspoons of filling, pressing it gently to compact the mixture.
3. Fold the wrapper edges down around the filling, leaving the top open. Press the wrapper snugly around the filling to neaten the shape, then flatten the top and base slightly so each dumpling sits flat.
4. Top each shumai with a dried goji berry or a single frozen pea and small carrot piece, if using. Repeat until all filling and wrappers are used.
5. Steam the dumplings: Cut a parchment round to fit your bamboo steamer and prick it with holes so steam can circulate. Lightly brush the parchment with vegetable oil to prevent sticking, arrange the dumplings without crowding, and cover the steamer.
6. Place the steamer over a wok or skillet containing a few inches of boiling water, ensuring the water does not touch the steamer base. Steam for 8 to 10 minutes, until the pork is cooked through.
7. Prepare the dipping sauce: Stir the chili paste and soy sauce together in a small shallow dish and serve alongside the shumai.

Photograph by Eric Wolfinger
Courtesy of Recipe Iseasy Magazine