Shanghai Xiao Long Bao Recipe: Homemade Soup Dumplings

Xiao Long Bao - Shanghai Soup Dumplings

Adapted from Steamy Kitchen

The Soup

• 2 quarts/2 litres of water

• 2 pounds/900 g chicken bones (wings/back/neck)

• 2 ounces/60 g of Virginia Smithfield ham (or cured Chinese ham if you can get it), cut into 4 pieces (Virginia ham)

• 1/2 pound/250g of pork skin & fat (you can ask your butcher for this, he’ll most likely just give it to you. you could also use pork belly, or just a fatty cut of pork)

• 1 inch piece of ginger, sliced into 4-5 ginger “coins”

• 2 green onions, cut into 3 inch pieces

• 2 large garlic cloves, smashed with side of your knife

• 2 teaspoons of Chinese rice wine (or dry sherry)

• 1 tablespoon powdered Agar Agar or 1 tablespoon of unflavored gelatin

Step 1 - Wash pork thoroughly. Take the pork skin and with the backside of your knife, firmly scrape the surface of the skin to clean it further. This will help you produce a cleaner soup. Rinse again. Place all ingredients in a large stockpot. When all ingredients come to a boil, immediately turn to low heat and simmer for 2 hours. Skim surface of impurities constantly to keep soup clean and clear. Or, you could make the broth in half the time. When the soup is done. Strain and discard solids. We will only use 4 cups of broth. (Save the rest for soup!)

Step 2 - Place 4 cups of the broth back in the pot, turn on the heat. When just about to boil again, turn heat off and add the agar-agar or gelatin. Whisk for 2 minutes until all powder is dissolved. Pour broth into containers to set. Refrigerate until set, about 3-4 hours.

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The Filling

• 1 lb/450 g ground pork

• 1/4 lb/125 g shrimp, shelled, deveined and minced finely

• 3 stalks green onion, finely minced

• 2 teaspoons sugar

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce

• 3 teaspoons salt

• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper

• 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

• 1 teaspoon Chinese rice wine (or dry sherry)

• 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil

Step 1 - Mix all ingredients. Remember the broth gelatin above? When the broth gelatin is set, run a fork through it, with criss-cross motion, to break up into very small 1/4? pieces. Take about 2 cups of the gelatinised broth and add that to the filling mixture. Stir to incorporate evenly throughout. Refrigerate until ready to use.

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Mom’s Hot Water Dough
(makes about 50-50 dumplings)

• 400 grams of all-purpose flour (but please re-read the part above re: dough)

• 3/4 cups boiling hot water

• 1/4 cup cold water

• 1 tablespoon cooking oil

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Step 1 - Put 90% of the flour in the mixing bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. One the lowest speed pour about a third of the hot water in the flour. Add the rest of the hot water until the dough begins to form. Add the cold water and oil. Add the remaining 40 grams of flour and knead on the lowest setting for about 4-5 minutes until the dough becomes elastic. Cover with plastic wrap and let it sit for 30 minutes.

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Step 2 - Divide the dough into four equal pieces. Take one piece (cover the remaining 3 pieces with plastic wrap) and roll it into a long log, about 1-1/4? diameter. Using pastry scraper or knife, cut dough into 10-14 pieces. Roll one of the pieces between your palms to get a nice, round, smooth ball. Dust the counter top lightly with flour keep a small pile of flour to the side so keep the surface dry and floured. Roll each ball of dough out into a circle using a small, light rolling pin (I used a cannoli mold which is actually a wooden broomstick cut into pieces) and then using the end of the small rolling pin, roll out the edges so that they are thinner so that there is a thicker circle in the centre.

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Step 3 - With your left hand (if you are right handed) make a C with your thumb and foirefinger and rest the pastry dics in there. Fill the centre with filling ensuring that you get lots of the gelatine bits. With your thumb and forefinger of your right hand pinch pleat the dumplings together. Cover any dough and made dumplings so that they don't dry out.

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To steam

• 1 head of Napa or wombok cabbage, leaves separated or circles of baking paper

Step 1 - Fill steamer with 1 layer of Napa cabbage leaves. Steam over medium heat for 2 minutes to warm up the steamer and to soften cabbage. Place dumplings on the cabbage leaves, leaving 1 1/2? space between each dumpling. Steam for 12 minutes. Serve in bamboo steamer.

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**The Dipping Sauce **

• a few slices of red chilli

• 1/2 cup black vinegar

• 1/2 cup soy sauce

• 1 teaspoon sesame oil

• 1 tablespoon of shaved ginger

Step 1 - Combine all of the above and serve as a dipping sauce and refrigerate until ready for use.

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