Dim Sum (American Selections)

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound ground pork
• 1/2 pound shrimp, peeled, deveined, and chopped
• 4 dried shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated and minced
• 2 tablespoons scallions, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon shaoxing wine
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
• 24 round wonton or shumai wrappers
• 1/4 cup carrot, finely diced, for garnish
• 1/2 pound shrimp, peeled, deveined, and chopped, for har gow
• 1/4 cup bamboo shoots, minced
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil, for har gow filling
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup wheat starch
• 1/4 cup tapioca starch
• 3/4 cup boiling water
• 1 tablespoon lard or vegetable shortening
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup hot water
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil, for pancake dough
• 1/2 cup scallions, thinly sliced, for pancakes
• 1 teaspoon salt, for pancakes
• 1/2 cup soy sauce, for dipping
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, for dipping
• 1 teaspoon chili oil, for dipping

Method

1. 1

   In a bowl, combine ground pork, chopped shrimp, minced shiitake mushrooms, scallions, soy sauce, shaoxing wine, sesame oil, cornstarch, sugar, and white pepper. Mix vigorously by hand until the filling becomes slightly sticky and cohesive.

2. 2

   Place a wonton wrapper in your palm and spoon about 1 tablespoon of pork filling into the center. Gently pleat the edges upward around the filling, leaving the top exposed, and press to flatten the base so the shumai stands upright.

3. 3

   Press a few diced carrot pieces onto the exposed top of each shumai for garnish. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling to form 24 shumai.

4. 4

   In a separate bowl, combine chopped shrimp for har gow, minced bamboo shoots, sesame oil, and salt. Mix well and set aside.

5. 5

   Make the har gow dough: in a heatproof bowl, stir together wheat starch and tapioca starch, then pour in boiling water while stirring quickly with a spatula until a rough dough forms.

6. 6

   Add the lard to the warm dough and knead until smooth and pliable, about 3 minutes.

7. 7

   Divide the har gow dough into 12 pieces and roll each into a thin round using a flat-sided cleaver or rolling pin. Place a spoonful of shrimp filling in the center and fold into a half-moon, pleating one edge.

8. 8

   Make the scallion pancake dough: combine flour and hot water in a bowl, stirring until a shaggy dough forms, then knead until smooth, about 5 minutes. Cover and let rest 30 minutes.

9. 9

   Divide the rested dough into 2 pieces. Roll each into a thin rectangle, brush with sesame oil, sprinkle with scallions and salt, then roll up into a log and coil into a spiral. Roll each spiral flat into a 8-inch disk.

10. 10

    Set up a steamer with water at a simmer. Arrange shumai and har gow in a single layer on parchment-lined steamer baskets, leaving space between pieces.

11. 11

    Steam the shumai over simmering water until the pork is cooked through and filling is firm, 10 to 12 minutes.

12. 12

    Steam the har gow until the wrappers turn translucent, 6 to 8 minutes.

13. 13

    Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a 9-inch skillet over medium heat. Add one scallion pancake and cook until golden and crisp, 3 to 4 minutes per side.

14. 14

    Repeat with the remaining oil and pancake. Cut each pancake into 4 wedges.

15. 15

    Whisk together soy sauce, rice vinegar, and chili oil in a small bowl for dipping.

16. 16

    Arrange shumai, har gow, and scallion pancake wedges on a platter and serve immediately with the dipping sauce.