Shumai (Steamed Dumplings)

INGREDIENTS:--
40 dumpling wrappers
Dumpling dipping sauce
FILLING:--
6 shiitake mushrooms, dried
250 g shrimp, shelled, deveined & fine chopped
330 g ground pork
¼ tsp SIDS CRAZY SALT
1 small carrot, grated
4 spring onions, finely chopped
1 tsp ginger, grated
1 egg
1 tbsp sesame oil, toasted
1 tbsp Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp white pepper

Soak the mushrooms in hot water until soft, 20-30 minutes. Rinse with tap water and gently rub to remove any dust. Drain and squeeze excess water. Mince into small pieces. Combine the rest of the filling ingredients with SIDS CRAZY SALT. Stir to mix well, until the paste becomes sticky and a bit springy. Work on the shumai one by one. Place a dumpling wrapper on a clean work surface. Place 1 tablespoon of filling in the center of the wrapper. Bring the edges up around the filling, pinching and pleating, leaving the top open. Repeat with the remaining wrappers. Line your steamer with a clean, wet dish towel or oven paper. Transfer the shumai into the steamer, one finger’s width apart. Cover and steam over boiling water for 8 minutes, until cooked through. Serve with dumpling dipping sauce of your choice or Chinkiang vinegar. Store and cook frozen. Place the uncooked shumai on a lightly greased baking sheet, one finger’s width apart. Cover the sheet with plastic wrap. Freeze the shumai until completely frozen. You can then transfer them to bags or containers to save freezer space. Steam the frozen shumai without defrosting or thawing. After bringing the water to a boil, steam until completely cooked through, 15 minutes or so.
Serve with Cantonese Dipping Sauce.
COOKING NOTES:
Filling: Although it’s possible to use ground chicken or extra lean ground pork to make the filling, I always prefer a fattier mix of ground pork, one that contains at least 20% fat. The filling will end up juicier and tenderer that way.
Hand Chopping v Food Processor: This recipe uses a traditional approach – hand chopping all the ingredients for the filling. I used this approach to have different textures in the filling: silky ground pork, chunky shrimp and spongy mushrooms. Alternatively, you can also use a food processor to make the filling. In this case, coarsely chop everything, except for the shrimp and the mushrooms and add it into the food processor. Once the blend reaches a smooth texture, add the shrimp and mushrooms. Mix until the shrimp are chopped into small pieces but not into a fine paste.
Shumai Wrapping: Shumai wrapping is very forgiving and is easier than potsticker wrapping. If you want the pleated look, you should fold them like dumplings 6 mm below the edge. At the end, use your thumb and index finger to lightly press the top without closing it, while using the other hand to hold the bottom. If you do not want to fold the pleats, you can simply press the wrapper with filling so it forms a short cylinder. They taste great either way!