Steamed Shao-Mai Dumplings with Young Ginger
Paper-thin wrappers hold a mixture that includes ground pork, ginger, scallions, and water chestnuts. Shao-mail wrappers are stamped out of won ton wrappers with a 3-inch cookie cutter; if you can’t find shao-mai wrappers, you can make your own from won ton wrappers.
Ingredients
- Shao-mai Wrappers - 16, paper-thin
- Young Ginger - 1 walnut-sized, nugget
- Scallion - 1 thin, cut into 1-inch lengths
- Pork butt - 1/2 pound, ground
- Soy Sauce - 1 tablespoon
- Chinese rice wine or dry sherry - 2 teaspoons
- Kosher salt - 1/4 teaspoon
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
- Fresh Water Chestnuts - 1/4 cup, diced
- Carrot - 3 tablespoons, finely diced
Instructions
Mince the ginger and scallion in a food processor until fine. Add the pork, soy sauce, wine, sesame oil, salt and pepper. Pulse in the processor until mixed. Scrape the mixture into a bowl and add the water chestnuts, then stir the mixture in one direction until blended.
Spread the wrappers on a work surface. Put a scant 1 tablespoon of the filling in the center of each. Bring up the sides to form into a loose four-cornered hat, then press each corner toward the filling; the dumpling now looks like a cupcake. Next, make a circle of your thumb and forefinger around the middle of the dumpling and tighten the circle gently to press the wrapper to the filling and give the dumpling its empire waist. Dunk exposed pork top into carrot to decorate.
Place the dumplings on an oiled steamer rack. Put into a steamer and steam 20 minutes.
To serve: Divide the dumplings between the serving plates.
