Best Har Gow Recipes

HAR GOW SHRIMP DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• To make the filling, toss the shrimp with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, put them in a strainer, and rinse under cold water. Transfer the shrimp to a paper towel and blot dry. Chop the shrimp into peanut-size pieces; halve each shrimp lengthwise first to make it easier. Put the shrimp into a bowl and add the pork fat, bamboo shoots, and scallion. Stir with chopsticks or a fork to evenly distribute the ingredients.
• In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, the cornstarch, sugar, white pepper, rice wine, and sesame oil, stirring to dissolve the cornstarch. Pour the seasonings over the shrimp mixture. Stir with chopsticks or a fork to ensure that all the shrimp are well coated. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 30 minutes or refrigerate for up to 4 hours to marinate. Makes about 1 1/3 cups.
• Working with 1 piece of dough at a time to form the wrappers, roll it on an unfloured work surface into an 8-inch log. Cut the log into 8 equal pieces. Follow the instructions on "Forming Wrappers from Wheat Starch Dough" (page 133) to shape circles that are each 3 to 3 1/4 inches in diameter.
• Before assembling the dumplings, line steamer trays and baking sheets with parchment paper, then oil the paper.
• To assemble a dumpling, hold a wrapper in a slightly cupped hand. Use a bamboo dumpling spatula, dinner knife, or fork to scoop up about 2 teaspoons of filling and place it slightly off-center toward the upper half of the wrapper, gently pressing to flatten slightly and keeping about 1/2 to 3/4 inch of wrapper clear on all sides. Then fold, pleat, and press to enclose the filling and create a pleated crescent (see page 29), finishing it by pinching the rim together between your fingers into a thin layer of dough that resembles a crown; this prevents the edge from being unpleasantly thick once cooked. If the skin breaks, dab a tiny bit of oil on the area and try smoothing out and patching up the wrapper. For the pouchy har gow shape, lightly press the unpleated side of the dumpling against the knuckle of a bent finger; this will softly arch the dumpling forward. If this shape proves too challenging, simply form a half-moon (see page 26). Set the finished dumpling in a prepared steamer tray. Assemble more dumplings from the remaining wrappers before working on the next batch of dough. Space them about 1/2 inch apart; if using a metal steamer tray, keep the dumplings 1 inch away from the edge where condensation will collect. Place overflow dumplings on the baking sheet with a good 1/2 inch between each and cover with plastic wrap. Once assembled, the dumplings should be cooked as soon as possible, because they cannot be refrigerated uncooked.
• Steam the dumplings over boiling water (see page 17 for guidance) for about 6 minutes, or until they have puffed slightly and are glossy and translucent. Remove each tray and place it atop a serving plate.
• Serve hot with soy sauce and chile garlic sauce. Cooked dumplings can be refrigerated, then steamed for about 3 minutes before serving. Cooked dumplings can also be frozen for up to 1 month, completely thawed in the refrigerator, and steamed for 3 to 5 minutes.

HAR GOW

Steps:

• Fill a large bowl with 6 cups of cold water and whisk in the baking soda until dissolved. Add the shrimp to the bowl, lightly massage it in the baking soda water and let soak for 30 minutes.
• Drain the shrimp, rinse under cold running water, drain again and pat dry with paper towels.
• Finely chop 1/4 cup of the shrimp to a paste and add to a large bowl. Coarsely chop the remaining shrimp into 1/2-inch pieces and transfer to the same bowl. Add the sugar, chicken bouillon powder, white pepper, 2 teaspoons of the tapioca starch and 1/2 teaspoon salt and mix in one direction until streaks form on the side of the bowl, about 1 minute. Mix in the toasted sesame oil and 1 tablespoon of the lard until incorporated. Refrigerate until needed.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment. Bring 1 cup cold water to a boil in a small pot.
• Meanwhile, sift the wheat starch and remaining 1/3 cup tapioca starch with a fine-mesh strainer into a large bowl. Stir 1/2 teaspoon salt into the boiling water until dissolved, then slowly pour over the wheat starch mixture and mix with a wooden spoon or chopsticks. Cover and let rest for 5 minutes. Add the remaining tablespoon of lard and knead until incorporated.
• Lightly dust a work surface with wheat starch and turn out the dough onto it. Knead the dough until smooth. Divide in half and roll each piece into a 15-inch log. Cut each log into 1-inch pieces and cover the dough pieces with a damp paper towel or lint-free kitchen towel. Working with one piece of dough at a time, dust the dough with some wheat starch, press into a 2-inch circle and then roll out into a thin 3- to 3 1/2-inch circle, keeping the edges thinner than the center.
• Put the dough circle in front of you and place a scant tablespoon of the shrimp filling in the center of it. Starting at the right edge of the circle at the "3-o'clock" position, make small pleats counterclockwise along the edge until you reach the "9-o 'clock" position (the goal is around 8 pleats for good luck). Fold up the dough edge closest to you and attach it to the inside edge of the pleats to close up the opening. Pinch to seal and press lightly to thin out the edge. Place the har gow on the prepared baking sheet and repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
• Fill a 12-inch skillet or wok with about 2 inches of water and place a 10-inch bamboo or metal steamer basket in the skillet. Make sure the water doesn't touch the bottom of the insert. If it does, remove some of it. Bring the water to a rolling boil, line the steamer basket with a perforated parchment circle and place 10 har gow into the steamer basket, leaving about an inch between each. Cover and steam until the filling is bright orange and the wrappers are translucent, 6 to 8 minutes. Cool for a minute to set the skin, then enjoy while warm. Continue with the remaining har gow.