… therefore, I shall eat

Yey, welcome.

My first post is a delicious pork and shrimp siu mai recipe, in line with my Asian heritage and a recent episode from MasterChef Australia that I truly enjoyed — mainly because of Debra and her constant interruption of her team mates’ work lol, but we’re getting off the topic.

Siu Mai is a traditional Chinese dumpling served in dim sum. This dish has many variations and can also be found in other countries, namely, Japan, Indonesia, and Philippines. You can read more about siu mai in Wikipedia.

Siu mai is encased in wonton wrappers and steamed, but unlike other dumplings, it has an open top. It’s served with soy sauce as dip.

Pork and Shrimp Siu Mai

Servings: around 25

Ingredients:

• 225 g shelled raw shrimps
• 120 g pork
• 1/2 onion, finely chopped
• 1 tsp ginger, grated
• 3 tsp soy sauce
• 3 tsp sake
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• Salt and ground pepper
• Round wonton wrappers

1. Dice the shrimps and mince the pork in a food processor. (Alternatively, you can also buy ground pork, although the texture wouldn’t be as good.)
2. Combine pork, cornstarch, ginger, and seasonings. Using your hands, mix well to form a paste. Mix in onions and shrimp.
   Note: Sake can be substituted with shaoxing wine, mirin, or sherry.
3. Spoon a tablespoon of the mixture in the centre of a wonton wrapper. Gather the edges around the mixture, at the same time pleating neatly for a rounded shape.
   Note: Others use sui mai or egg roll wrappers instead of wonton wrappers. Spring roll wrappers, meanwhile, don’t work well when making siu mai because the wrappers are thick and are not designed to stick to the mixture.
4. Repeat with the rest.
5. Prepare the steamer. Boil water underneath it and oil the racks with vegetable oil cooking spray to prevent dumplings from sticking.
6. Arrange the siu mai dumplings on the racks and cover. Steam for about 10-15 minutes, or until the fillings are firm to the touch.

Dipping sauce: Traditionally, the soy sauce is mixed with calamansi or lemon. Others use lime or kumquat. You can also make one composed of soy sauce, honey, hot sauce, and garlic. Or for a spicier dip, use chilli paste.

There are literally lots of variations to making siu mai. What I like about this recipe is the chunks of shrimp you feel when you eat them. If you want a more rubbery texture, try grinding the shrimp to a paste. Some, as in this siu mai recipe in Food Network, grind half of the mixture, retain the rest as is, and then combine the two.

You can also use other ingredients for the filling, such as a tropical combination of prawn, lime, and pineapple or one with chicken and mushrooms.

These siu mai dumplings are adorable Asian bites! You really should try one the next time you visit a Chinese restaurant or, better yet, make one like this at home.

P.S.

You really should read Sydney Morning Herald’s recap on that MasterChef Australia episode on dim sum.