Har Gow (Crystal Shrimp Dumplings)
SERVES Makes 24 dumplings
TIME 1¼ hours, plus 30 minutes chilling and resting
Ingredients
DOUGH
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (5¼ ounces) wheat starch
¼ cup plus 3 tablespoons (1¾ ounces) tapioca starch
Pinch table salt
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon boiling water
4 teaspoons lard, melted
FILLING
6 ounces shrimp, peeled, deveined, and tails removed
2 tablespoons finely chopped canned bamboo shoots
1 tablespoon lard, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine
½ teaspoon grated fresh ginger
½ teaspoon minced garlic
¼ teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon table salt
¼ teaspoon white pepper
¼ teaspoon soy sauce
Before You Begin: We developed this recipe with Red Lantern wheat starch and Bob's Red Mill tapioca starch. We strongly recommend weighing the starches. For an accurate measurement of boiling water, bring a kettle of water to a boil and then measure out the desired amount. You can substitute vegetable oil for the lard. Any size shrimp can be used; the larger the shrimp, the more pulses will be required to chop them in step 2. Canned water chestnuts can be substituted for the bamboo shoots. If you don't own a tortilla press, flatten the dough with a 6-inch cake pan or another similar-size, clean, flat surface. Watching our video is helpful when learning how to shape the dumplings. If you don't own a bamboo steamer, here's how to hack one with a plate or platter. Serve with Chili Oil.
Directions
1. FOR THE DOUGH: Process wheat starch, tapioca starch, and salt in food processor until combined, about 3 seconds. Add boiling water and let rest for 5 seconds. Pulse once. Add lard and process until dough forms ball that clears sides of processor bowl, about 1 minute (if dough does not come together, add up to 2 teaspoons hot water, ½ teaspoon at a time, processing for 10 seconds between additions, until dough ball forms). Transfer to lightly greased counter and knead for 1 minute. Dough should be slightly tacky. Shape dough into ball, and cover with plastic wrap.
2. FOR THE FILLING: In clean, dry work bowl, pulse all filling ingredients until shrimp is finely ground, 10 to 20 pulses. Transfer to bowl; cover; and refrigerate until filling is well chilled, about 20 minutes.
3. To shape, divide dough into 4 equal portions. On lightly greased counter, roll 1 portion of dough into 6-inch rope. Divide rope into 6 equal pieces. Cover all pieces with plastic wrap. Use lightly oiled tortilla press to press 1 piece of dough into 3¼-inch round.
4. Place dough round on fingers of your nondominant hand. Place heap- ing ½ tablespoon of filling in center of dough. To create first pleat, use thumb and index finger of your other hand to pinch dough just above pinky and lift pleat toward top of filling.
5. Using index finger of hand holding dumpling, push dough toward pinched portion to begin forming second pleat. Use index finger of pleating hand to position second pleat against first pleat. Repeat pleating motion, rotating dough with each pleat, until all of dough is pleated and dumpling has rounded shape.
6. Hold dumpling pleated side up, and use your thumb and index finger to press pleats together just above filling to seal dumpling. Gently tear excess dough from dumpling. Place dumpling pleated side up on counter and cover with plastic wrap. Repeat with remaining dough and filling, lightly oiling tortilla press and counter as needed.
7. To steam, bring 4 cups water to boil in 14-inch flat-bottomed wok or 12-inch skillet. Meanwhile, lightly grease two 8-inch parchment rounds. Place rounds in two 10-inch bamboo steamer baskets. Arrange dumplings on prepared parchment so that they are not touching; stack baskets and cover. Reduce heat to maintain simmer and set steamer in wok. Steam until har gow wrappers are translucent, about 8 minutes. Off heat, remove steamer from wok and let rest, covered, for 10 minutes. Serve.
Why This Works: A semisheer wrapper allows a hazy glimpse of the blush-pink mixture that rests inside. Its tacky surface clings lightly to the bamboo steamer and your chopsticks, momentarily prolonging the anticipation. Then you pop it in your mouth: At first, the dumpling resists your chew, but it soon gives way, baring a pristine, delicately sweet, juicy shrimp filling. This is har gow, a “small, small bite,” per Sarah Leung, writer for the authoritative The Woks of Life blog, who classifies each dumpling as “its own experience” with “its own interplay of texture and taste.” On a video call, Leung went so far as to say that the one-bite treasures are “emblematic of dim sum.”
Recipes provided by America’s Test Kitchen; used with permission.
You can watch past episodes of America's Test Kitchen on WSKG Passport.
For more information about WSKG Passport, please visit our support page.
To see other recipes from America's Test Kitchen and other shows, visit Cooking with WSKG.