Caviar King Crab Dumplings* Recipe

Prepare workspace

Dust your work surface lightly with the all-purpose flour to prevent sticking. Have wrappers covered with a damp towel so they do not dry out while you fill dumplings.

Lay out 24 round wrappers and keep them under the damp towel until ready to fill.

Chop and pulse shrimp

Cut the peeled shrimp into 1/2-inch pieces and then pulse 8–10 times in a food processor until coarsely ground but not paste-like. Alternatively, finely mince by knife. Transfer to a mixing bowl.

Combine filling ingredients

Add the flaked king crab meat, finely diced bamboo shoots, chopped green onion (reserve a little green for garnish), grated ginger, minced garlic, egg white, light soy sauce, rice wine, sesame oil, white pepper, kosher salt, and cornstarch to the bowl with the chopped shrimp. Mix gently with a spatula or by hand until ingredients are evenly distributed and mixture becomes slightly tacky (about 30–45 seconds). Do not overwork; you want some texture from the crab.

Taste a small pinch of the mixture by quickly pan-frying a tiny amount to check seasoning; adjust salt or soy if necessary.

Fill and shape dumplings

Working with one wrapper at a time, place it in your palm. Put about 1 tablespoon of filling (level) in the center. Lightly wet the wrapper edge with water using your fingertip. Fold the wrapper over to form a half-moon, pressing to seal. Create 3–4 small pleats along the sealed edge to form a traditional dumpling shape, or simply press tightly for a purse shape. Repeat until all filling and wrappers are used (should make ~24 dumplings). Keep finished dumplings under a lightly damp towel to prevent drying.

If using parchment or cabbage leaves, cut parchment into rounds slightly smaller than steamer basket and place on steamer.

Prepare steamer

Bring about 5 cups of water to a rolling simmer in a wok or pot set up for steaming. Lightly brush steamer basket or parchment with a little neutral oil to prevent sticking. Arrange dumplings in the basket with small gaps (do not crowd) — you may need to steam in two batches.

Steam dumplings

Steam the dumplings over high simmering water for 6–8 minutes if using fresh wrappers; if wrappers are thicker or dumplings are larger, steam 8–10 minutes. Dumplings are done when filling is opaque, shrimp is fully cooked, and wrappers are slightly translucent and tender. Remove steamer from heat carefully.

Let dumplings rest 1 minute before transferring to a serving platter.

Top with caviar

Using a small spoon, place about 1/2 teaspoon of caviar onto the center of each hot dumpling (adjust by preference). The heat from the dumpling will warm the caviar slightly; place caviar right before serving to preserve texture and flavor.

Garnish each dumpling with a few microgreens or a few slivers of reserved green onion and a light sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds if using.

Whisk together 2 tablespoons light soy sauce, 1 tablespoon black vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil, and if desired 1/2 teaspoon lime juice and 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped chili. Taste and adjust balance of soy/vinegar. Serve sauce alongside dumplings for dipping.