Shumai

Step by step

1. This recipe makes 24 shumai.

2. Place shiitake mushrooms into a small bowl. Pour 240 ml of boiling water into the bowl and soak the mushrooms until softened. Drain and set aside.

3. Remove the core from the cabbage, slice it into 5 cm wedges, and set aside with the peeled ginger. Fit the Food Processor with the reversible shredding disc in the highest setting. Lock the lid and, with the processor running on speed 2, use the food pusher to guide the cabbage and ginger into the blade.

4. Remove cabbage and ginger from the work bowl into a large bowl. Set aside. Remove the reversible shredding disk and insert the quad blade attachment. Add the rehydrated shiitakes, lock the lid, and pulse to finely chop. Add mushrooms to the cabbage and ginger.

5. With the quad blade still in place, add the cubed pork to the work bowl, lock the lid and pulse. Continue pulsing until the pork is finely diced, almost minced but not a paste.

6. Heat a wok pan, add 1 tablespoon canola oil, and then add ground pork. Saute for 1 minute, then add in cabbage, ginger, mushrooms and scallions. Stir, then add remaining ingredients: soy sauce, sesame oil, salt, cornstarch and cooked rice. Break up rice and stir well; when ingredients are fully incorporated, remove from heat.

7. Allow the filling to slightly cool. To fill the shumai, form an “o” with the pointer finger and thumb of your non-dominant hand. Lay a dumpling wrapper over the “o” and, with your dominant hand, use a spoon to place about 1 ½ tablespoons [30g] of filling in the center of the wrapper. Press the filling down as you pinch the wrapper around it, rotating and flattening the bottom of the dumpling, creating a cylindrical shape. The filling should come to the top or edge of the wrapper, if not a bit above. Set the filled dumplings aside on a tray or plate as you go. Cover the dumpling wrappers so they do not dry out as you work.

8. Meanwhile, prepare your steamer basket over boiling water. Line the bottom of the steamer basket with basket liners. Fill your baskets making sure not to crowd the dumplings. Steam them for ten minutes, and serve immediately with dipping sauce.

9. Tip: Shumai can be prepared in advance, placed on a tray and stored in the refrigerator covered with plastic for up to 2 days, or you can freeze them. (To keep the bottoms from sticking to the tray, rub the bases in a bit of cornstarch before storing away.) To freeze: line a tray with the dumplings in a single layer. When they are frozen solid, transfer them to a freezer storage bag to store for up to a month. Cook from frozen the same way, but steam for an extra five minutes.