Pomegranate-Shaped
Dumplings (Shao Mai)
Ingredients
4 1/2 cups (500 g) flour,
sifted
2 egg whites
1 lb (500 g) lean boneless pork, beef or other
meat, diced
5 oz (150 g) cooked meat, diced
3 1/2 tsp vegetable oil or lard
3 1/2 oz (100 g) canned bamboo shoots, diced
1 tsp shrimp eggs
1 tbsp fresh ginger, chopped
1 tsp rice wine
2 tbsp salt, or to taste
3 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
3 1/2 oz (100 ml)sesame oil
7 oz (200 ml) stock
1 tbsp MSG
Directions
- Mix flour with egg whites and water
to make a firm dough, following the directions
for Recipe 170, "Sauteed Dumplings,
Henan Style." Divide the dough into
50 portions and each into a circle 5 inches
(13 cm) in diameter. Stack 10 fine pieces,
one on top of the other. Flour lightly
between each of the ten pieces. Press
the end of the rolling pin into the dough
circularly to make 1 inch (25 mm) long
marks, and separate them to avoid sticking.
- Heat the oil or lard in a wok until
the oil surface ripples. Add the cooked
meat and bamboo shoots and stir-fry briefly.
Add the shrimp eggs, ginger, 1 tsp of
the rice wine, 1 tsp of the salt, and
1/2 tsp of the MSG. Continue to stir-fry
1 minute. Remove and cool. Mix the uncooked
meat with the remaining 1/2 tsp of MSG,
1 tsp of the rice wine, 1 tsp of the salt,
soy sauce, sesame oil and a little water.
Add the bamboo shoots and cooked meat.
Mix well. Divide the filling into 50 portions.
- Take a pastry circle and place 1 portion
of the filling in the center. Pull up
the edges of the pastry around the filling
to make a cylinder, leaving the top open
so the filling is visible and the dumpling
resembles a pomegranate. repeat until
all the dumplings are made.
- Place the dumplings in a steamer and
steam for 5 minutes over high heat. Sprinkle
with the stock and continue to steam until
cooked through. Remove and serve.
