Scallop siu mai

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Jeremy grew up eating dim sum, but it wasn't until his recent trip to Singapore that he learnt the true art to making dim sum. This scallop siu mai recipe may take a bit of time to perfect, but don't worry as they will taste great no matter how they look.

First published in 2016

Although I have been eating them pretty much since I was able to eat solid food, my real dim sum journey started about four years ago when I went back to Singapore to learn how to make them from scratch. On the first day of class, my teacher made sure that I made a minimum of 500 of each type before I could move onto the next, as getting each one to look exactly the same takes time. With these open wontons, practice makes perfect – but don’t be put off! They will taste good however they end up looking and are a great addition to any dinner party.

Tip: The traditional way to beat the filling is to scoop it from the mixing bowl in a cupped hand and throw it back into the bowl. This not only tenderises the meat, but will push any air out of the mix, creating a smooth finish when biting into the dumplings.

Recipe from Chinese Unchopped by Jeremy Pang (Quadrille, £20)

Photography by Martin Poole.

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

Siu mai

Marinade

Dipping sauce (optional)

Method

1
Remove the scallop roes, if still attached, and slice the scallops in half lengthways. Finely chop the prawns and mushrooms
2
Mix together the sauce ingredients, if using, in a small bowl or ramekin
3
Mix the pork mince, prawns, mushrooms and cornflour together with the marinade ingredients, then beat the mix together until it forms a smooth paste
4
Cut the wonton wrappers into circles using a 6.5cm pastry cutter, then place 1 1/2 teaspoons of the pork mixture in the centre of each wrapper. Using the base of the teaspoon, spread the filling out over the wrapper, ensuring it covers it completely edge to edge
5
Create an ‘egg cup’ shape with your left hand and insert the wrapper so that it rests on top, with the middle drooping into the centre of your hand
6
With your free right hand, use the base of your spoon as a ‘lid’ to ensure all the meat stays in the parcel, while turning the wrapper with your left hand using your thumb and index finger of your ‘egg cup’. The aim is to form a uniform dumpling with straight walls of pastry all the way around the meat
7
Once your dumplings have been made, place half a scallop on top of each
8
Line a bamboo steamer with greased baking paper or banana leaf. Add the dumplings to the basket, place over a wok a third-filled with boiling water and steam for 8–10 minutes
9
Serve with the dipping sauce, if using, or with sweet soy sauce
First published in 2016

School of Wok founder, author and TV chef Jeremy Pang comes from three generations of Chinese chefs. Being surrounded by food connoisseurs, Jeremy developed his passion for food and soon realised the importance and correlation between basic cooking skills and eating well.

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