Xiaolongbao (Soup Dumplings)

Shanghai's famous soup-filled dumplings with a delicate wrapper encasing seasoned pork and rich aspic that melts into soup when steamed. A technical masterpiece worth the effort.

Ingredients

• •400 g Ground Pork
• •300 g Wheat Flour
• •20 g Ginger
• •30 ml Soy sauce
• •200 ml Chicken Broth

Instructions

1. 1

   Make aspic: simmer 500g pork skin with ginger, scallion in 500ml water for 3 hours. Strain, refrigerate until set.

2. 2

   Make dough: mix 250g all-purpose flour with 130ml just-boiled water. Knead 10 min until smooth. Rest 30 min covered.

3. 3

   Make filling: mix 300g ground pork, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tbsp grated ginger.

4. 4

   Add 50g minced scallion whites, 1 tbsp sesame oil, white pepper. Mix in one direction only for 2 minutes.

5. 5

   Chop firm aspic into small cubes. Fold 150g aspic into meat filling gently. Keep cold!

6. 6

   Divide dough into 24 pieces. Roll each into 8cm thin circle, thinner at edges than center.

7. 7

   Place 1 tbsp filling in center. Pleat edges (18+ pleats ideally), twist to seal at top.

8. 8

   Place dumplings on parchment squares in bamboo steamer. Leave 3cm space between each.

9. 9

   Steam over vigorously boiling water for 8 minutes exactly. Don't open steamer during cooking!

10. 10

    Make dipping sauce: mix 2 tbsp black vinegar with fine ginger julienne.

11. 11

    Serve immediately in steamer. Lift each dumpling carefully with spoon - don't pierce!

12. 12

    To eat: place on soup spoon, nibble corner, sip soup, then eat. Dip in vinegar-ginger.

Nutritional values

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