Siu Mai (Cook and Sell) Dumplings

¼ pound (4 ounces) fresh shrimp

3 medium dried mushrooms

1 cup ground pork

1½ green onions, thinly sliced

½ cup canned bamboo shoots, shredded

2 teaspoons oyster sauce

2 teaspoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 package Siu Mai or wonton wrappers

Oil for coating heatproof plate

1. Wash and devein the shrimp, and chop finely. Soak the dried mushrooms in hot water for at least 20 minutes to soften. Drain, remove the stems, and slice finely.
2. Combine the ground pork, shrimp, green onions, dried mushrooms, bamboo shoots, oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar, and sesame oil.
3. To wrap the Siu Mai: Place 2 teaspoons of filling in the middle of the wrapper. Do notfold the wrapper over the filling. Gather up the edges of the wrapper and gently pleat the sides so that it forms a basket shape, with the top open.
4. Lightly coat a heatproof plate with oil. Place the dumplings on the plate. Place the plate on a bamboo steamer in a wok set up for steaming. Steam the dumplings for 5–10 minutes or until they are cooked.

Mix and Match

Feel free to experiment by trying the different fillings with any of the dumplings. For example, potsticker fans could use this recipe to make potstickers instead of siu mai. The sticky rice recipes also work well in dumplings or with other wrappers such as banana leaves.

Turkey Fried Wontons

1½ cups ground turkey

2 teaspoons dark soy sauce

1½ tablespoons oyster sauce

1 large garlic clove, minced

½ cup chopped spinach leaves

1 package wonton wrappers

4 cups oil for deep-frying

1. Combine the ground turkey, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, garlic, and spinach leaves.
2. Add oil to a preheated wok and heat to 375°F. While waiting for the oil to heat, wrap the wontons (see the Deep-fried Wontons recipe on page 33 for instructions).
3. Carefully slide a few wontons at a time into the wok. Deep-fry until they turn golden (about 2 minutes). Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.