Dim sum with dipping sauce

Recipe by: leonida l. bolastig

These Chinese dumplings, known as shao may or shiu may, have a chicken filling, which is lighter than the traditional pork mixture.
  Ready in 55 mins

Saved by 22 cook(s)

Ingredients

Serves: 6

• 1 can water chestnuts, about 200 g, drained and chopped
• 4 spring onions, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 340 g (12 oz) minced chicken
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh root ginger
• 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 30 g (1 oz) fresh shiitake mushrooms, chopped
• 1 tbsp cornflour, plus extra for dusting
• 50 wonton wrappers
• 150 g (5 1/2 oz) kale, Swiss chard or spring greens
• salt and cayenne pepper
• Dipping sauce:
• Blend together some hoisin sauce, chopped spring onions, chopped fresh coriander, soy sauce and/or toasted sesame oil.
  

Preparation method

Prep: 45 mins | Cook: 10 mins

1.

Mix together the water chestnuts, spring onions, coriander, soy sauce and sesame oil. Add the chicken, sugar, ginger, garlic and shiitake mushrooms. Stir in the cornflour with salt and cayenne pepper to taste, and mix well. Cook a small spoonful of the chicken mixture in a frying pan, then taste it to check the seasoning.

2.

Dust a plate with cornflour. Place about 1 tsp filling on the middle of a wonton wrapper. Dampen the wrapper slightly just around the filling. Gather up the wrapper, pinching it around the filling to form a cup, open at the top and with ‘frilly’ edges. Set aside on the plate, and fill the remaining wrappers.

3.

Line a multi-layered steamer with kale, Swiss chard or spring greens. Stand the dim sum on the leaves and steam over rapidly boiling water for 8–10 minutes. Serve hot, with the ingredients for the dipping sauce in individual bowls so that each diner can mix them together to make a sauce to their own taste.

Some more ideas
Make your own dough to enclose the dim sum: the wrappers will be slightly thicker and not frilly around the top edge, but they are equally delicious. Mix 200 g (7 oz) strong plain flour with a pinch of salt in a bowl. Make a well in the centre and add 1 tbsp sunflower oil and 4 tbsp boiling water. Mix well. Cover with cling film and set aside to rest for 15 minutes. Then knead the dough until smooth, roll into a sausage shape and cut into 10 equal pieces. Each piece of dough is enough to make 5 dim sum. Cut one piece into 5 portions, leaving the others covered to prevent them from drying out. Roll out one of the small pieces of dough into a 5 cm (2 in) circle. Place about 1 tsp of the filling in the centre of the dough. Pinch the dough up to form a cup around the filling, leaving it open at the top. Place on a cornflour-dusted plate, and repeat with the remaining filling and dough. Steam as for dim sum in wonton wrappers. * Use 3 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked until pliable, then drained and chopped, instead of fresh shiitake. * For a vegetarian filling, mix 10 fresh shiitake mushrooms, chopped, with 225 g (8 oz) mashed tofu and 3 finely chopped garlic cloves.
Plus points
Garlic, onions, leeks and chives contain allicin which has anti-fungal and antibiotic properties. Garlic also contains other compounds that have been shown in animal studies to inactivate carcinogens and suppress the growth of tumours.
Each serving provides