Har Gow (Cantonese Crystal Shrimp Dumplings)

Ingredients

• wheat starch1 cup
• tapioca starch1/3 cup
• boiling water3/4 cup
• neutral oil1 tbsp
• raw shrimp, peeled and deveined350 g
• bamboo shoots, finely diced1/4 cup
• toasted sesame oil1 tsp
• Shaoxing wine1 tsp
• white pepper1/4 tsp
• sugar1/2 tsp
• fine sea salt1/2 tsp
• cornstarch1 tsp

Steps

1. 1

   Mix starches with boiling water.

   Whisk the wheat starch and tapioca starch in a heatproof bowl. Pour in the boiling water all at once while stirring with chopsticks. Cover and rest 2 minutes.

2. 2

   Knead and rest the dough.

   Add the oil and knead the warm dough until smooth and pliable. Wrap in plastic and rest while you make the filling.

3. 3

   Prepare the shrimp filling.

   Roughly chop half the shrimp; mince the rest into a paste. Combine with the bamboo shoot, sesame oil, Shaoxing, white pepper, sugar, salt, and cornstarch. Stir vigorously in one direction for 1 minute until tacky.

4. 4

   Form and flatten dough pieces.

   Pinch off walnut-sized pieces of dough. On an oiled surface, press each flat with the side of an oiled cleaver into a thin round.

5. 5

   Fill and pleat the wrappers.

   Spoon 1 tbsp filling onto each wrapper. Pleat one side 7-10 times against the smooth back, sealing into a crescent.

6. 6

   Steam the dumplings until glassy.

   Line a bamboo steamer with parchment or cabbage leaves. Steam the dumplings over rapidly boiling water for 6-7 minutes until the wrappers turn glassy and the shrimp shows through pink.