Shrimp Siu Mei
What’s really nice about a cultural dish such as siu mei is that you will find so many different iterations of the dish. My personal favorite involves using turkey, but a more traditional recipe calls for shrimp.
Ingredients:
1/2 pound fresh shrimp, peeled and de-veined
2 egg whites
1 tbls chopped fresh shitake mushroom (you cannot substitute dried as the flavor will be overwhelming)
1 heaping tbls freshly grated ginger
2 tbls water chestnut, chopped
1 tbls oyster sauce
2 tspns sesame oil
2 tbls chopped green onion
The juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 package of Dynasty round gyoza/potsticker wraps
Other needed tools:
Parchment paper
Bamboo or stainless steel steamer
Warm water
Non-Stick Cooking Spray
Instructions:
1. In a food processor combine all ingredients except for water chestnut and won ton wraps. You have two options here. One, you can really over-process the mix so that it is a fluffy, fully macerated mix. Two, you can barely process the shrimp and leave it in chunks. If you don’t process the mixture enough, you may find that it falls apart. If you process it too much, you may find that the end texture is mushy and unpleasant. Doing a rough chop can give you that nice crunch that shrimp has, but it may also not hold together as well. Test out different methods and figure out what works best for you. When the mixture has reached the texture you are comfortable with, mix in the chopped water chestnut. We want to keep these large enough to add a crunch to the dumpling.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
3. Line a bamboo steamer top with parchment paper. Cut slits through the paper to allow steam to flow through. Spray paper with non-stick cooking spray.
4. For detailed instructions on how to create the dumplings, read our step by step process here.
5. When water has reached a rolling boil, place steamer on top of pot and allow to cook for 8-10 minutes. Overcooking can lead to a rubbery texture, so be careful.
6. After 5-7 minutes, remove cover of steamer and remove siu mei. Serve immediately, garnishing with chopped green onion. Serve with a mixture of 2-to-1 soy sauce to apple cider vinegar or lemon juice. Full amount serves 2-3 for a meal with soup, 5-10 as an appetizer or hors d’oeuvre. Double the recipe if you plan on serving more people.
