CHINESE - CRAB SUI MAI

Chinese - Crab Sui Mai image

I love sui mai, beautiful open faced dim sums; but I have never tried a crab version before. They sound absolutely amazing. I adore the beef, pork and scallop ones, all are wonderful. They make perfect appetizers when paired with a nice chilled white wine. Posted here for play in Culinary Quest, recipe courtesy of The Canadian...

Provided by Baby Kato

Time 1h35m

Number Of Ingredients 15

Ingredients

1 lb (454 g) medium shrimp
2 oz (57 g) ground pork
1 egg white
1 Tbsp (15 ml) chinese cooking wine or sherry
1 Tbsp (15 ml) sesame oil
2 tsp (10 ml) grated gingerroot
1 tsp (5 ml) salt
1/2 tsp (2 ml) white pepper
1 pkg frozen crabmeat, thawed
1/2 c (125 ml) drained canned water chestnuts, finely diced
1/4 c (60 ml) chopped fresh coriander
2 green onions, minced
46 very thin square wonton wrappers
46 fresh peas or frozen peas
10 large spinach leaves

Steps:

1. Peel and devein shrimp; transfer to food processor. Add pork, egg white, wine, oil, ginger, salt and pepper; pulse just until combined, scraping down side of bowl as necessary. Scrape into large bowl.
2. Drain crabmeat in sieve, pressing to remove as much liquid as possible; remove any cartilage. Add crabmeat to shrimp mixture along with water chestnuts, coriander and onions; stir gently to combine without breaking up crab.
3. Place 4 wonton wrappers on work surface, keeping remainder covered with damp cloth to prevent drying out; brush with water. Place 1 tbsp (15 mL) crab mixture on centre of each; gather around filling, pressing 4 sides to make petal effect and leaving 1-inch (2.5 cm) opening at top.
4. Holding dumpling between finger and thumb, squeeze to form "waist"; tap on counter to flatten bottom. Place 1 pea in centre of each top opening. Repeat with remaining ingredients. (Make-ahead: Transfer to cornstarch-dusted rimmed baking sheet; cover with damp towel and refrigerate for up to 6 hours. Or freeze until firm; layer between waxed paper in airtight container and freeze for up to 2 weeks.)
5. In wok or steamer, bring water to boil. Line 2 steamer trays with spinach leaves or waxed paper. Arrange sui mai, without touching, in single layer on spinach.
6. Arrange stacked steamer trays over wok; cover and steam for 5 minutes. Reverse trays and steam until sui mai are firm and pink in centre, about 5 minutes. Repeat steaming for any remaining sui mai.
7. Serve in steamer tray or line platter with spinach and top with sui mai.