Cantonese Shrimp Siu Mai

INGREDIENTS (Makes 20 Siu Mai)

Make the Siu Mai Filling

• 14 ounces [400 grams] of peeled and deveined shrimp (Medium 41/50 per pound)
• 4.5 ounces [127 grams] of ground pork, 25% fat
• 3 pieces of shiitake mushroom, soaked and diced
• 1 whole egg
• 1/4 cup of diced scallions
• 1.5 tbsp of cornstarch
• 2.5 tsp of soy sauce
• 2.5 tsp of oyster sauce
• 1/2 tsp of sugar
• 1.5 tbsp of minced garlic
• 1.5 tsp of minced ginger
• 1/2 tsp of salt
• 2 tsp of sesame oil

Make the Siu Mai Wrapper

• 4.5 oz (127 g) of all-purpose flour
• 1/8 tsp of salt
• 2 oz (57g) of water
• 1/2 tsp of turmeric Powder
• cornstarch as needed

Others

• Minced carrot for garnish, optional

Make the Dipping Sauce

• 1 tbsp of julienned ginger
• 1.5 tbsp of Chinese black vinegar
• 2 tsp of soy sauce

INSTRUCTIONS

Make the Filling

1. Season the shrimp with 1/2 tsp of salt and some white pepper to taste.
2. Reserve half of the shrimp and keep them whole for presentation. Use a cleaver to smash the other half of the shrimp one by one, then roughly grind them into a paste. Shrimp is delicate, so this won't take too long. If you don't have a cleaver, please use a meat tenderizer.
3. Soak the dried shitake mushrooms in water 2 hours in advance. Squeeze to eliminate the water, then dice the mushrooms finely. If you can not find dried shiitake mushrooms, replace them with fresh mushrooms, diced carrots, or water chestnuts.
4. Combine the shrimp, pork, mushroom, egg, scallions, and cornstarch in a big mixing bowl. Although this is a shrimp siu mai, mixing it with some pork will balance the texture and the flavor.
5. Season the filling with soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, minced garlic, ginger, and sesame oil. Next, mix the filling within one direction until the paste becomes gluey and sticky, then chill it in the fridge while making the wrappers.

Make the Wrapper

1. Add the turmeric powder and salt to the water and stir well, then pour the mixture into the all-purpose flour slowly and mix at the same time until the water is well absorbed. A classic Cantonese siu mai wrapper has a yellow color, which comes from turmeric or food coloring. Some recipes use egg yolk, but then you will end up with extra egg white, so I recommend using turmeric.
2. Gather the flour and knead it for a few minutes until a rough dough forms.
3. Set the paster roller at the thickness setting, feed the dough through, and a rough sheet will come out. Fold the sheet and feed it through the roller again. Repeat this process 6-8 times or until the sheet becomes smooth.
4. Gradually lower the thickness and feed the sheet through until it becomes 1 mm thick.
5. Use a 3.5-inch round cookie cutter to cut the wrapper into circles. Then, recombine the scraps and feed them through the pasta roller to make more wrappers. If you don't have a paster roller, feel free to cut the store-bought wonton wrappers into circles and use them as a replacement.
6. Dust the wrappers with cornstarch to prevent sticking, and set them aside.

Wrap the Siu Mai and Steam

1. Put 1.5 tbsp of filling in the middle of the wrapper and pack it tight. Push up the edges, then use your forefinger and thumb to surround the siu mai and make it into a cylinder.
2. Place the siu mai in the steamer on top of parchment paper, then top it with a piece of whole shrimp and garnish it with minced carrots. Continue to wrap the rest. High-end dim sum restaurants usually will use delicate fish roes as garnish. Try it if you have access to purchase fish roes.
3. Bring a pot of water to a boil and steam the siu mai over high heat for 6 to 8 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, combine the julienned ginger, Chinese black vinegar, and soy sauce. This dipping sauce is non-spicy but is classic for all kinds of steamed dim sum.