Upping My Chinese Cooking Game with Homemade Dim Sum...

What I have been up to during March Break.

After going through a stack of dim sum lib books and watching DIY youtube home vids, this... 

Attempted a dim sum steamer fave pork and shrimp siu mai #recipedevelopment cause my student asked. Some key tips: chop the lean pork ham yourself, and use the slap technique "dat" against the bowl 10 times to create springy-ness to the filling. Of course making your own wheat wrapper is best, but wonton wrappers tinged with the characteristic yellow is an ok alternative for now. Pretty pleased with my first go, but with a few tweaks, they'll be much better next round. Can't wait to share and teach it at my upcoming Chinese cooking class with seniors. 

Shrimps, lean ham pork, pork fat and shiitake mushrooms, all hand chopped.

A little fish roe for a pretty pop

Kowa Bunga!!! Steamer heaven right there!

Har Gow crystal shrimp dumplings 🦐🥟, however not quite translucent, achieved through a thin skin wrapper. And mine are jumbo too, not bite-size cute. To make thin dim sum har gow wrappers it takes both patience and pressure. I used a heavy Chinese cleaver 💪. I tried the dough with 1 to 8 part wheat starch to potato starch, a bit of salt in boiling hot water and oil. Next time, to soften, I will knead the dough longer before forming the dough balls and also let it rest. Happy thou with the well-seasoned springy bounce of the shrimps, minced and chopped along with pork fat cubes. Master dim sum chefs are adamant about 13 pleats for optimum appearance and taste. I'm just happy I can pleat and seal lol. #dimsumgoals

Son over reacting lol

Jumbo har gow. So tasty. Need to make the dough thinner next time.

My last dim sum recipe trial and development to end the March break week- cheurng fun steamed rice rolls bespeckled with dried shrimps and green onions. Used a 4 to 1 ratio of rice flour to wheat flour and a bit of cornstarch. The key is proper pan greasing, stirring the batter well btwn each ladle and cooking until just done (1-1/2 mins). Yes, some breakage with the roll up but quite content. Good springy-ness with tender chew, and nice dried shrimp and onion aroma. Can't wait to fill 'er up with all kinds of yummies like whole shrimps or sauteed snow pea leaves. Next time I will try my student's recipe using 1 cup rice flour, 1 cup tapioca flour and 2 Tbsp. cornstarch. Always fun and tasty, catching up and cooking & eating with my gorgeous gurl Lisa @lisa.eats 😘😋🔪🥢.

Circular or rectangular pans work. Just grease them nicely.

Roll 'er up with a scraper.

With my so-much-my-junior twin Lisa @lisa.eats 

As you can tell this was a hurried post. What can I say... back from March break, I'm on the go, go, go.....

Stay posted...  dim sum tweaking & honing and their recipes on the way. Yay!