Shanghai Soup Dumplings (Xiao Long Bao)
Servings:
2
Prep Time:
90 minutes
Cook Time:
15 minutes
Difficulty:
Hard
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour: 2 cups (250g)
- Salt: ½ tsp
- Boiling water: ½ cup
- Room-temperature water: ¼-⅓ cup as needed
- Chicken stock: 2 cups
- Gelatin: 1 tsp powdered (or 1 sheet unflavored)
- Ginger slices: 2
- Scallions: 2, smashed
- Ground pork (70% lean/30% fat): 450g
- Scallions, finely chopped: 3
- Ginger, minced: 1 tbsp
- Light soy sauce: 1 tbsp
- Shaoxing wine: 1-2 tbsp
- Salt: ½-1 tsp
- Sugar: ½-1 tsp
- White pepper: ¼ tsp
- Sesame oil: ½ tsp
Instructions
- Make aspic first: warm stock with ginger and scallions, simmer 10-15 minutes, discard aromatics
- Bloom gelatin in cold stock 5 minutes, warm ½ cup stock and dissolve gelatin, mix back
- Pour aspic into shallow container and chill 3-4 hours until fully set, cut into small cubes
- Make dough: mix flour and salt, pour in hot boiling water while stirring with chopsticks
- Add room-temperature water gradually, knead into soft dough, rest 10-20 minutes covered
- Knead again until smooth 1-3 minutes, rest 30 minutes covered
- Mix pork, scallions, ginger, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, salt, sugar, white pepper, and sesame oil
- Stir vigorously in one direction until sticky, fold in aspic cubes gently
- Roll dough into rope, cut into 24 pieces, flatten each into thin circle
- Place 1 tbsp filling in center, pleat edges gathering toward top, pinch and twist to seal
- Steam over boiling water for 8-10 minutes
- Serve with black vinegar, soy sauce, and ginger shreds for dipping