Pork & Shrimp Siu Mai (3) 烧卖 Recipe
Steamed dumplings filled with pork and shrimp.
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Ingredients
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Filling
Wrappers & steaming
Garnish & dipping sauce
Method
Filling
- 1
Prepare ingredients
Chop the shrimp into small, roughly 3–4 mm pieces (coarsely minced). Finely chop the shiitake mushroom and scallion. Mince the ginger. Separate and lightly beat an egg white and measure the cornstarch and seasonings so they are ready.
- 2
Combine proteins
In a medium bowl combine the ground pork and chopped shrimp. Use a spoon or spatula to mix briefly until the proteins are evenly distributed — do not overwork yet.
- 3
Season and bind
Add the chopped shiitake, scallion, ginger, egg white (0.5), cornstarch, light soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, chicken stock (or water), sugar, salt and white pepper to the pork–shrimp mixture. Mix by folding and pressing the mixture in one direction (lift and slam motion or press with the back of the spoon) until the mixture becomes tacky and cohesive, about 20–30 seconds. The cornstarch and egg white help bind and give a springy texture.
- 4
Rest (optional)
Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes if time allows — chilling helps the mixture firm up so it’s easier to shape. If refrigerated, give the filling a quick stir before assembling.
Wrappers & steaming
- 5
Prepare steamer
Fill the bottom of a steamer pot with about 400–500 ml water and bring to a rolling simmer. Line the steamer basket with the parchment squares or napa cabbage leaves to prevent sticking and to let steam circulate.
- 6
Portion filling
Divide the filling into 3 equal portions (about 80–90 g per dumpling for these quantities). Keep the portions on a chilled plate if you refrigerated the mixture.
- 7
Shape siu mai
Working with one wrapper at a time, hold a wrapper in the palm of your non-dominant hand. Place about one portion (or ~25–30 g if making smaller siu mai) of filling in the center. Gather the wrapper edges up around the filling, pressing lightly with your fingers to compact the filling and leaving the top open (traditional open-top shape). Gently press down on the top of the filling so it’s flat and slightly exposed. Repeat for remaining wrappers and filling. Smooth any loose wrapper edges so dumplings hold shape.
- 8
Arrange in steamer
Place each siu mai on the lined steamer basket, leaving space between them (do not crowd; steam expands). If desired, press a small spoonful (about 1 tsp) of diced carrot or fish roe onto the exposed top of each siu mai for garnish.
- 9
Steam
Carefully place the steamer basket over the simmering water. Steam on medium-high heat for 6–8 minutes (for these sizes) until pork is cooked through and shrimp are opaque. Avoid lifting the lid during the first 5 minutes so steady steam cooks evenly. Internal temperature should reach 70–72°C (160°F) for pork.
- 10
Garnish & dipping sauce
- 11
Make dipping sauce
In a small bowl combine 2 tbs light soy sauce, 1 tbs black vinegar and 1 tsp chili oil (adjust chili oil to taste). Stir to combine.
- 12
Serve
Serve the siu mai warm with the dipping sauce on the side. Optionally top each dumpling with a small amount of diced carrot or fish roe for color and texture.
